Everlasting Memories (Pokémon Hugh X Rosa)
by Lyra Sprinkles
Summary: Have you ever lost someone? If you have, then you'll know what it's like. The pain, the regrets... If you haven't, then maybe reading this will keep you from making the same mistakes I did. My name's Hugh, and this is the story of how I lost the person I cared about the most. Rated Teen for mild violence and minor suggestive scenes.
1. Prologue

It isn't Hugh's first time at the Battle Subway, but he's still feeling nervous. There's that uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach that won't go away. He walks past the pink line, unable to make up his mind on what he'd like to do today.

And then he sees it. The orange line. He hasn't had a multi battle since – well, _her_ , but he knows he has to get back in the saddle. So he enters the Multi Train Subway.

However, the guard is quick to inform him that he'll need a friend to accompany him. Hugh sighs. Today is just _not_ his day.

That's how Hugh meets Nate. Nate, another Pokémon trainer looking for a partner, suggests that he and Hugh team up and take on the train together. At first Hugh doesn't like the idea. He doesn't do multi battles with anyone besides her. But then he reminds himself – back on the saddle. So he nods. Yes, he will take on the Multi Train with Nate.

"Alright," says Nate, once the two shake hands. "What kind of Pokémon should I use?"

Hugh shrugs. "How the hell should I know? Use what you like."

Nate frowns. "Huh. My previous partners always tell me what kind of Pokémon to use."

Hugh can feel his temper rising, and it's not good. He's always had an extremely short fuse for people like Nate. He knows that if Nate continues to annoy him, he'll 'unleash his rage' on him. And it won't be pretty.

"Then maybe you should go battle with your previous partners then," he says irritably. He shoves his hands in his pockets and starts to walk away.

"Wait!" calls Nate. He pulls Hugh into the train. "No need to get upset. I've decided to focus on balance."

Hugh grunts. They enter the first car to face their first opponents, a rich boy and a Pokéfan. The four trainers release their Pokémon.

Hugh's Bouffalant hits the Pokéfan's Vullaby hard with Wild Charge, causing it to faint instantly. However, Nate Alomomola falls asleep thanks to the rich boy's Foongus.

"Maybe Mr. Medal should give you a medal," says Hugh snidely. "For picking such _strong_ Pokémon."

Instead of being offended, Nate looks surprised. "Who's Mr. Medal?" he says.

Hugh bites his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about her. "This guy," he replied, signaling his Bouffalant to hit the opponent's Timburr. "He used to give my – friend – medals for the dumbest stuff. Like riding a bike or visiting the Pokémon Center."

Nate smiles, his Krookodile practically destroying the opposing Roggenrola. "Maybe your friend was really good at riding bikes and visiting the Pokémon Center."

"She was," says Hugh, as he and Nate walk towards the computer to heal their Pokémon. He doesn't want to talk about her, but at the same time he can't help himself.

" _Was_?" questions Nate curiously. They enter the next car, facing a preschooler and another Pokéfan.

Hugh sighs. He realizes that by the end of their streak this annoying boy is going to know everything about her. "I lost her," he says shortly. He can't think of any other way to put it.

"Lost?" Nate presses on. His Krookodile bites the opponent's Reuniculus hard. "You mean you aren't friends with her anymore? What happened? Did you fall in love with her or something?"

Hugh shakes his head. No. He's not going to talk about her. "It's a long story," he says, hoping Nate will get the hint and drop it.

But Nate doesn't get the hint. So he doesn't drop it. "We're both strong trainers," he insists. "We can take on all the trainers on this train without breaking a sweat. We have time."

Hugh sighs again. Before he knows it, he finds himself telling Nate their story. From the beginning, when they both met…


	2. Memories of School

_Eight years ago_

"Hey! Guess what?" Hugh ran into the classroom, his face beaming. "My Grandpa gave me a Pokémon egg! I'm going to take care of it, and it's going to hatch into a super strong Pokémon!"

The other children oohed in wonder. They were just ten years old, and none of them had seen a Pokémon egg before. Only two kids in their class had Pokémon, so a sight like this was very rare.

"It's so big," said Cherry, bending to the egg's level.

"Do you know what it's going hatch into?" asked Rusty seriously.

"How are eggs made, anyway?" wondered Hunter.

"Yes, no, and not going to answer that," replied Hugh proudly. "Grandpa says I have to carry it around with me and hold it close, and it'll hatch before I know it!"

"Cool," murmured the class, all of them gathered around the egg by now.

"Hey, maybe it'll hatch today!" said Olive.

But the egg did not hatch. By the end of the day, most of the class had lost interest in the egg, and Hugh was severely disappointed.

He walked out of the class, his arms still wrapped around the egg. His classmates giggled and skipped past him, the egg old news now. He gave a snort of annoyance.

"Don't worry," said a small voice, and he turned to find pigtailed Rosa beside him. "I'm sure it'll hatch soon."

"Uh – yeah, okay," said Hugh, not knowing what else to say. "Thanks, I guess."

They walked together in silence, as both of them lived near each other.

"Um, I've been meaning to ask you," said Rosa softly. "Can-can I touch it? The egg, I mean."

"Sure," said Hugh, passing it to her. "Be careful."

Rosa gave him a big smile, her eyes shining. "Thanks!" She patted the egg lovingly, holding it close.

"Hey, Hugh?" she quipped up again. "Can I be its mommy and help you take care of it? I've never had a Pokémon before, so. . ."

Hugh's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, but he managed to control his surprise. "Yeah! That sounds good! We'll train it together, and it'll be the strongest Pokémon in Aspertia City!"

"Yay!" Rosa jumped up, while Hugh roared, "Careful with that!" She ignored him and continued, "It's going to be so much fun!"

From that day on, the two were inseparable. Every morning, Rosa showed up outside Hugh's house, to check on the egg. She insisted on carrying it to school, and spoke to it all during recess, to which Hugh rolled his eyes. Although he kept reminding her that the egg was his, and it was going to hatch into his Pokémon, he enjoyed sharing it with Rosa. The egg eventually hatched, and the two were delighted. They continued to be friends after that, taking care of the Pokémon together.


	3. Memories of Purrloin

"That's adorable!" says Nate. Hugh squints at him. He thinks if he searches hard enough, maybe he'll be able to spot the teenage girl controlling Nate. Their current Multi Battle streak, by the way, is 4. Nate is doing much better than Hugh thought he would.

"You two sound pretty tight," remarks Nate. They enter the next car to face their next opponents, a lady and a school kid. "What changed?"

Hugh grimaces. "What happened next changed me forever." He releases his Bouffalant. "In fact, that event practically _created_ me."

"Oh?" says Nate, his eyebrows raised.

 _Five years ago_

"…and we caught it!" exclaimed the old man.

Hugh jumped up and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Gramps!" He buried his face into his grandfather's apron. "Hana's going to love it!"

"That's alright, boy," His grandfather patted his head. "But maybe we should keep this a secret until your sister's birthday tomorrow, okay?"

"You bet!" replied the boy, pumping his fist in the air. "Alright! We caught a Purrloin! I can't wait to tell Rosa!"

"Now, now," his grandfather wagged a finger at him. "I know you and Rosa are best friends, but you can't ruin the surprise!"

"Okay, Gramps," Hugh gave his grandfather another hug and ran off.

He ran and ran until he reached the pond. Rosa and her mother lived in a small red house right next to it. He pounded on the door hard, panting.

"Rosa!" he exclaimed, as his best friend opened the door. Rosa had grown over the years, and had traded her pigtails for buns on the side of her head. "You won't believe it!"

Rosa giggled. She had grown used to Hugh's antics by now and didn't mind them at all. She dragged him inside the house and shut the door.

"So, what's got you so excited?" she asked, watching Hugh flop onto the couch. She took a seat next to him.

"Grandpa c-"Hugh began, but stopped when he remembered his grandfather's words. "I mean, Grandpa said you have to come for Hana's birthday tomorrow!"

"I'll be there, Hugh," said Rosa. "You already invited me last week, remember?"

"Yeah, but," Hugh scratched his head, thinking of a response. "Um, Grandpa said he has a big surprise for her! You have to see it!"

"Of course I will!" Rosa smiled at him. "I'm not about to miss my best friend's sister's birthday now, am I?"

The Purrloin was kept with Hugh's grandfather at night, and the next morning it was handed over to him. Hugh had insisted that he be the one to give Hana her birthday present. While he himself had got his first Pokémon when he was ten, Hana would be receiving hers at the tender age of six. Hugh hoped she would love it as much as he loved his Pokémon.

Rosa had called him up to say that she would be arriving late, as she and her mother were at Flocessy Town, visiting someone. Hugh was annoyed, but not annoyed enough that it ruined his mood. He knew Rosa would be there to see the new Pokémon soon.

As soon as the cake was cut, Hugh shoved the box under his sister's nose. "Open mine first!"

Hana shook the box, trying to get what was inside. "Is it a Pokétoy?"

"Even better!" Hugh replied, smiling at his sister. "Happy birthday, Hana!"

She ripped open the cardboard box to find a Poké Ball inside. "It's a...Poké Ball?" She said, confused. "I-uh, love it!"

"No, silly," laughed Hugh. "Open the Poké Ball!"

Hana obeyed him, and with a flash of light the small Pokémon leapt out, right into her arms. "It's a Pokémon!" she squealed. "A Purrloin! Oh, Hugh, you're the best!"

Hugh hugged his sister, pleased with himself. His grandfather winked at him from the corner of the room and Hugh winked back.

"Now, why don't you open this one, dear?" said his mother, holding up a box. "It's from-"

"No!" yelled Hugh. "Hana and I are going to go out and have a Pokémon battle. Now!"

"Absolutely not!" said his father. "That Pokémon has had no training yet, and-"

"Come on, Hana," Hugh grabbed his little sister's hand and ran out of the house. "We'll be back soon!"

The two children ran towards the outlook, Hana still clutching the Pokémon. She struggled to keep up with her brother. "Hugh, are you sure it's okay to battle so soon?"

"Definitely," he turned back and smiled at her. Suddenly he ran into something and stopped.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"Two men were standing before him, dressed in medieval clothing. "Is that a Pokémon? Is it yours, little girl?"

"Yup!" declared Hugh. "I gave it to her."

"How precious," sneered the second man. "Well, if you ask me, little children like you shouldn't be allowed to have Pokémon. You're just making them suffer!"

"What?" raged Hugh. "We're not making them suffer! Purrloin loves Hana! Just see for yourself!"

"I'm going to take this Pokémon away, before you two make it suffer more," said the first man, as he swooped in and grabbed the Purrloin. "And not just children like you, no one should be allowed to have Pokémon and cause them pain."

"Hey!" roared Hugh. "Come back here!" He proceeded to chase after them, but his path was blocked by two Patrat, glaring at him with their red eyes.

The second man shook his head. "It's Team Plasma's duty to liberate Pokémon from their trainers. Soon, no one in Unova will have any Pokémon!" They recalled their Pokémon and walked away.

Hugh stood there in shock. He couldn't believe what just happened. Hana began to cry, and his insides boiled with rage, a rage unlike anything he had ever known.

That day marked a change in Hugh. Gone was the happy, excitable boy, and in his place was a young man filled with pure hatred for Team Plasma. When Rosa showed up later, she barely recognized him. He refused to talk to her and tell her what happened, and she chalked it up to another of his tantrums. What she didn't know was that her best friend had made a promise to himself: a promise to get Purrloin back. He would get stronger and destroy Team Plasma, once and for all.


	4. Memories of Leaving Home

Nate is silent, something Hugh didn't think was possible. They have won seven battles and both the boys now have 3 BP each. They're resting at the station, waiting for the next train to show up.

"I'm sorry," blurts Nate after a while. "Your sister must have been really sad."

"She was," agrees Hugh.

"And you never told Rosa about Purrloin?" questions Nate. "Is that why you two aren't friends anymore?"

Hugh scowls at him. "I never said that." he says.

"Then why aren't you two friends anymore?" persisted Nate.

Hugh controls the urge to club Nate on the head as he continues with his story.

 _One year ago_

"You're getting a Pokémon?" Hugh raised his hand to high-five Rosa, which she promptly returned. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah!" agreed Hana. "Rosa, when you get a Pokémon, take really good care of it, okay?"

"Of course I will," replied Rosa, smiling at her.

"So, a person named Bianca is coming to give you a Pokémon?" asked Hugh.

"Yeah. She works for Professor Juniper," answered Rosa, as the three of them walked into the city. "Professor Juniper and my mom are old friends, so she suggested I help with the Pokédex Project."

"That's great!" said Hugh enthusiastically. "Really great! I can ask for a Pokédex too, and we can both go on a journey! Besides, there's something I have to do. And I'm going to need your help for it, Rosa. Hana," he turned to his sister. "You head on home. Rosa and I are going to get her first Pokémon."

Hana waved and turned back. "So," questioned Rosa. "What was it you wanted my help with, anyway?"

Hugh stuck his tongue out at her. "Not telling," he replied, to which Rosa punched him playfully.

"If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to help you out?" Rosa pouted.

Hugh ignored her. "Look," he said, pointing at the outlook. "There's someone up there."

"A big, green, hat," Rosa frowned. "That's probably Bianca, then. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Hugh leaned against the railing, his thoughts drifting. Rosa didn't know it yet, but she was about to become his accomplice in the mission to bring Purrloin back. Of course, even though she was his best friend, she wouldn't be of much help if she didn't have a strong Pokémon by her side.

He wondered what she was doing up there; it had been a while since they parted. He proceeded upstairs.

"Hey!" he yelled, startling Rosa and Bianca, a girl with glasses and a green hat. "You got a Pokémon yet?"

"Yep!" said Rosa smugly, and threw a Poké Ball in the air. With a flash of light, Rosa's Pokémon appeared. "What do you think?"

"It definitely looks strong," answered Hugh, stroking his chin. His eyes caught the glint of a pink device in Rosa's hand. "Is that a Pokédex?"

"Yes, it is," replied Bianca, adjusting her glasses. "It's from Professor Juniper. She-"

"Please give me a Pokédex too!" pleaded Hugh, his eyes shining. "I'm going to travel around the Unova region and search for something really important!"

"Hugh. . ." said Rosa, in a warning tone.

"Oh. Sorry," he said sheepishly. "My name is Hugh, and I'm Rosa's best friend!" He stuck out his hand.

"Well . . . okay, I guess," said Bianca. "I carried two of them with me today, so why not?" She handed him a blue device, similar to Rosa's.

Hugh turned to Rosa. This was it. He was going to battle his best friend for the first time ever. "Let's see how strong your Pokémon is. I'll use the Pokémon we hatched from an egg!"

The battle was fierce, just as he expected. Rosa proved to have good instincts and a knack for strategy. Before he knew it, his Pokémon had fainted.

He shook his head in disbelief. He was happy that she was a good battler, but sad that he wasn't strong enough yet. "This is different from battling with wild Pokémon. Still, I'm glad I can count on you."

"I didn't expect to win," said Rosa softly, staring at the ground. "You've been a trainer for much longer than me. . ."

"Nah." Hugh shook his head. "You did a great job. Anyway there's something I need to talk to you about."

Bianca left, telling Rosa that she'd meet her at the Pokémon Center. After she was gone, Hugh spoke. "Looks like we're gonna go on a journey now."

"Yeah," said Rosa, as they both watched the magnificent view that the lookout boasted of. "I'm afraid of leaving home, but I'm also excited, you know?"

He nodded. They were silent for a minute, before Hugh spoke up. "Rosa, we're best friends, right?"

"BFFs!" chirped Rosa, even though she knew Hugh wasn't very fond of the word.

"Right." He took a deep breath. "Rosa, I need you to promise me something. I need you to promise me that you're always going to have my back in everything we do. Can you do that?"

"Hugh," His best friend was staring deeply into his eyes. "You know I'm always going to be there for you. Forever. I promise." She hugged him tight. And even though it made him uncomfortable, he hugged her back.

It was the start of a new chapter in their lives. Hugh and Rosa had always been best friends, but now they were Pokémon trainers, and things had changed. Hugh had always been determined to find his sister's Purrloin, and now he wasn't alone.


	5. Memories of the Inappropriate Touching

"So you two know Professor Juniper?" says Nate. "And Bianca, too? That's great! Because I know Professor Juniper! And Bianca, too! They live in my hometown. Nuvema Town. We're practically neighbors. Professor Juniper gave me and my sibling our first Pokémon too. And Bianca used to come around to our house all the time. Have you ever been to Nuvema Town?"

Even though Nate and Hugh have won around ten battles now, Hugh pauses the battle. With all eyes on him, he deliberately and slowly begins to rummage into his backpack.

"What are you doing?" says Nate curiously.

"Looking for some string," says Hugh curtly.

"Why?" asks Nate. Everyone, including the Pokémon, continues to watch them.

"So that I can tie your lips together," says Hugh grimly. " _And never have to hear you speak again._ "

Nate laughs. Their opponents snort and resume the battle.

"Silly Hugh," he says cheerfully. "If you wanted some string, you could've just asked me! I've got tons of it in my bag!"

Hugh facepalms.

"Anyway, back to the story," says Nate. "I think the promise you and Rosa made to each other is pretty sweet."

"Of course you would think that," replies Hugh, exasperated. They move on to the next car. "You're like the male version of the Pokémon Idol Nancy."

Hugh notices Nate stiffen. His fists clench hard. "What?" asks Hugh, frowning.

Nate shakes his head. "Nothing," he says. He forces a smile. "So you and Rosa started traveling after that. That sounds like fun."

"Not always," says Hugh, as they prepare for their next battle.

"What do you mean?" grills Nate.

Hugh begins talking about his next memory with Rosa.

 _Nine months ago_

"Hugh? Where are you?" whimpered Rosa, Poké Ball clutched tight in her hand. Hugh could hear the fear in her voice.

"I'm right here," he replied, tugging on her sleeve. He was a bit annoyed that despite everything they'd been through so far, his best friend was afraid of the dark.

In the past three months, they had accomplished more than they had in their seventeen (eighteen, in Hugh's case) years in Aspertia City. They both had two gym badges, they had defeated a bunch of Team Plasma thugs three times, and they had even caught some new Pokémon. Rosa had also acted in a couple of movies in Pokéstar Studios. Not that Hugh cared about that.

After causing trouble in Virbank City, Team Plasma had fled to Castelia City, and Hugh and Rosa had promptly followed them. Their search led them to the Castelia Sewers, where a trainer named Iris had deduced that Team Plasma was probably hiding.

Hugh had directly charged into the sewers like a raging bull, Rosa in tow. However, it became clear that this wasn't the best idea.

He groaned in frustration.

"It's okay, Rosa," he said, trying to sound sympathetic. He even patted her shoulder in an attempt to sound comforting, but stopped because it felt weird. "We'll find Team Plasma, destroy them, and get out of here as soon as we can."

"But . . . it's so dark," she whined.

"I know, I know," said Hugh impatiently. He ran his fingers through his spiky hair, trying to think of something. "It's too bright to use Flash either, so we're just going to have to plough through. You're not going to stay outside like a coward now, are you?"

Rosa shook her head. "No." she replied in a small voice. "Stay close to me?"

"Sure." He grabbed hold of her wrist, hoping she wasn't going to slow him down. It was amazing to think that this was the same girl who had beaten him every single time they battled.

They walked through the sewers, a foul smell lingering in the air. A couple of Rattata and Zubat got in their way, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

"Eeep!" yelped Rosa, clutching Hugh hard. A Zubat had flown in her face and she was trembling with fear.

"Rosa, geez," Hugh muttered a very bad word under his breath. He could not believe his luck.

He turned his attention to her. Rosa' long brown hair had come loose from her buns, and some of the strands were tangled in the zipper of his jacket. Her blue eyes were wide and terrified and she bit her lip as she gazed at the ceiling fearfully. Her fingers threatened to cut off the circulation to his arm.

Hugh had never noticed it before, but his best friend was really, really pretty. And despite the putrid smell around, she had the scent of freshly plucked Gracidea.

"I- I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he whispered. He dropped her wrist and slowly interlocked his fingers with hers. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm here. Remember our promise before we left? I've got your back." He gave her hand a small squeeze.

Rosa took a deep breath. "Okay," she said finally. "Thank you, Hugh. I'll try my best to be strong for you."

It was only after walking around for another five minutes that he realized that he was still holding her hand; he immediately released it and grabbed her wrist. He hoped she wouldn't notice his face turn red from embarrassment, but she didn't even react.

As they got closer to the brick wall, Hugh heard whispers.

"I think-"began Rosa, but she was immediately cut off by Hugh, who slammed her into the wall before him, urging her to be quiet. He caught snippets of a conversation between two people: something about "liberation", "traitor" and "Colress". Suddenly he became vaguely aware of something soft and squishy in his hand. And for the second time that evening, Hugh was severely embarrassed. He had been holding Rosa's breast.

"Gah!" His face was scarlet, and Rosa was glaring at him. "I'm sorry! I-" He tried to think of something to say, but when he had nothing, compensated by jumping in front of the two people near the wall, yelling "Hey!"

Needless to say, there were no major hiccups after that. Hugh and Rosa defeated the other two trainers, who turned out to be Team Plasma grunts, and met up with Castelia City's Gym Leader, Burgh. Hugh gave Rosa the HM for Strength, hoping she'd forget everything that happened. His face heated, he left the sewers, vowing not to think about _those_ mammaries for a long, long time.


	6. Memories of their First Fight

Nate can't stop laughing. Beside him, Hugh is seething. He immediately regrets telling him _that_ story.

And it's not just Nate. Their opponents, a backpacker and a biker, are also in hysterics.

"Dude," the biker wipes a tear from his eye, "you. Touched. Her. Boob. _Dude!_ "

Hugh just stands there, simmering quietly. He could punch Nate right now and retire from the Battle Subway.

Or, he could use some of the lessons he'd learnt over the past year and not let his anger get the best of him.

Although Plan A sounds tempting, he sticks with Plan B. It's the way Rosa would have expected him to behave, if she was still with him.

If she was still with him…

His train of thought is derailed by a loud ringing sound. Hugh notices Nate unhook his Xtransceiver from his belt loop. However, Nate does not answer it and silences it instead, a grim expression on his face. Hugh watches a pretty, pink-haired girl's image disappear from the screen.

"What was that?" he says sharply. This event has piqued his interest. Nate doesn't seem like the kind of person with girl problems. But the mere thought of him and Nate being in the same boat makes Hugh feel a little better.

"Nobody," replies Nate sullenly. The two move on to the next car.

"Didn't look like nobody to me," says Hugh, failing to keep the mockery out of his voice. It isn't like him to pry into somebody else's business, but if there's one thing his journey has taught him, it's to get his head out of his ass and realize that other people have problems, too.

"I don't want to talk about it," says Nate, sounding suspiciously like Hugh.

"Did you get into a fight with her?" Hugh asks, raising his eyebrows. He waits for the other boy to reply, but Nate is silent.

Oh, well. Can't say he didn't try.

"'Cause I know what that's like," he says sadly, staring into the distance.

 _Seven months ago_

Hugh hid behind the billboard, listening intently.

"Ugh, I can't stand this anymore!" complained the Plasma grunt. "How much longer do we have to wait here?"

"Shut up," hissed another harshly. "The others will be back soon. Quit your whining."

Hugh gritted his teeth. Trust Team Plasma to show up in Nimbasa City just as he was almost finished up here. It seemed like everywhere he went Team Plasma was around, causing trouble. And since he had already decided to wipe out every last one of them from Unova, he wasn't going to let these idiots get away.

Although he wanted to wipe the ground with their stupid Team Plasma faces, he knew that wasn't a smart move. There were four of them and only one of him, and he had no idea how strong they were. Luckily, he had his trusty partner-in-crime tagging along right behind him.

Rosa was skipping along outside the Pokémon Center, her brown hair flying in the breeze. She was singing softly to herself. Hugh couldn't help smiling; a happy Rosa was the most adorable sight in the world.

He decided it was time for action.

"Hold it!" he announced, jumping out from his hiding place. "What are you guys up to here anyway?"

The grunts jumped in shock. Then they saw Hugh and sighed with relief. "Oh. It's just a kid."

Hugh growled. His hand itched to release his Pokémon, but he restrained himself.

"We're just standing here," said one of the grunts.

Hugh's hands balled into fists. Did he look like a fool to them? They were obviously up to no good.

"So what did we do to you that you're bothering us with questions?" continued the grunt.

Hugh narrowed his eyes. "You didn't do anything. Not to me, at least…" His fingers curled around his Poké Ball. "But I can never forgive Pokémon thieves like you!"

The grunts blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Just to let you know," Hugh's voice was louder now. "You're about to feel my rage!"

"Yeesh," said another grunt, shaking his head. "Trainers sure are unruly these days."

"Is that it?" added a third grunt. "You're mistaking your Pokémon's strength for your own?" She rolled her eyes. "I couldn't care less for a runt like you, but I don't like being messed with!"

Hugh's eyes darted around for Rosa. He hoped she was around, ready to have his back. To his annoyance, he saw that she was still behind the Pokémon Center, gabbing away on her Xtransceiver. He facepalmed.

"Rosa!" he yelled. Startled, Rosa turned towards him, her eyes widening when she noticed the Team Plasma grunts.

"Cover me!" he instructed, swiping out his Poké Ball from his belt. He would deal with Rosa's carelessness later. "Pidove, go!"

Hugh took on two of the grunts one by one, while the other two waited for Rosa to reach them. He was extremely irritated. Rosa _had_ promised to have his back at all times, hadn't she? It wasn't like her Xtransceiver was more important than beating Team Plasma. Who was she talking to, anyway? He hoped it wasn't a guy.

Hugh and Rosa finished off the four grunts easily in a matter of minutes. The grunts cursed the trainers under their breath and retreated quickly.

Hugh waited for them to leave before he could unleash his rage again. "What was that?" he snapped.

"Excuse me?" retorted Rosa. "What's with that tone? Didn't you just see me beat those guys?"

"Why were you so distracted?" he said, furious. "You're supposed to back me up whenever I need you to!"

"I was on a call," replied Rosa, annoyed. Her eyes lit up. "This guy Curtis, I found his Xtransceiver, so he- "

"I DON'T CARE!" bellowed Hugh. "What is wrong with you? How can you be so careless when Team Plasma's still on the loose?"

"What is your problem?" screeched Rosa. "They weren't even doing anything! You just ambushed them because you felt like it!"

Hugh couldn't believe this. He was _livid_. He felt the sudden urge to sink his fist into a wall.

"So you're taking their side now?" His voice was dangerously low. "Is that it, Rosa? You wanna join Team Plasma?"

Rosa gasped. A couple of passersby who were watching the fight with interest also gasped.

"How dare you," said Rosa slowly, her voice filled with venom.

"I'm surprised you didn't follow them out now, begging for a registration form." continued Hugh sarcastically.

"Hugh," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"In fact, why don't you and Curtis start stealing Pokémon too, like Bonnie and Clyde?" he jeered. "Go on, Bonnie. You're wasting so much time talking to me when you could be out there, stealing Pokémon from helpless little kids. With your precious _Curtis_." He made sure he hissed out that last word with as much bitterness as he could muster.

This was evidently too much for Rosa to take. She stormed off towards the amusement park. Hugh watched her leave, his shoulders quivering with rage.

Hugh just stood there, panting. Serves her right, he thought. How dare she slack off when Team Plasma was at large? Stupid Rosa and stupid Team Plasma and stupid Curtis…

After a few minutes of standing alone in the middle of the street, his knees buckled. "Oh, man," he whispered to himself. "What have I done?"

He spotted Rosa next to the roller coaster, sitting by herself on a park bench. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears. She refused to look at him as he sat next to her.

"Please go away," she said coldly. "Only Team Plasma members can sit here."

Hugh sighed. "I'm sorry." he whispered,

"I don't care," she replied. She stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go join my precious _Curtis_ and steal some Pokémon."

"Wait!" he pleaded, grabbing her wrist. It was very difficult for him to apologize, but he couldn't stand seeing Rosa sad. "Rosa, please," he mumbled. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before and called you a Team Plasma member."

Rosa said nothing and continued to give him a stony gaze.

"It's very important that I beat Team Plasma." he continued.

Still nothing.

He sighed. Of course Rosa didn't understand how important it was that Team Plasma was defeated – she wasn't there that day. She didn't know what it felt like to be tied down and helpless.

And so Hugh found himself telling Rosa the secret he'd kept hidden from her all these years.

"Five years ago, Team Plasma stole my little sister's Purrloin." he explained. "It had been given to her as a present. I was only a little kid... I couldn't do anything..."

Rosa inhaled sharply. She immediately realized what Hugh was talking about. Five years ago. Hana's birthday. Hugh was so upset he refused to speak to her all day. She always thought it was because she had arrived late, but…

"Hugh," she whispered. She wrapped him into a tight hug. The sweet smell of Gracidea floated around him and Hugh momentarily hovered in the air, his heart soaring. "I had no idea…"

"So…so that's why I have to get stronger!" he continued, gently pulling away. He smiled at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Here," He pulled out a Super Potion from his backpack and handed it to her.

"Thanks, Hugh," said Rosa warmly. She bit her lip hesitantly. "I'm sorry, too."

Hugh shook his head. "Let's forget about it, alright? We have more important things to worry about. You fill up that Pokédex. Keep getting stronger and stronger, and back me up! I'll be counting on you from here on out, too!"

"You got it, Chief!" Rosa saluted him.

He booped her on the nose and walked away. His heart way flying – presumably due to the lightened load confessing his secrets had led to. The memory of her Gracidea scent filled his head, and he smiled. Rosa, Rosa, Rosa. What was she doing to him?


	7. Memories of First Dates

"Yancy," blurts Nate.

"What?" asks Hugh, confused. He has just spent two battles telling this boy about his first fight with Rosa, and this is how he reacts?

"That's her name," says Nate. He bites his lip. "You asked me who was calling. Her name is Yancy."

"Oh-kay?" Hugh is still confused. He wonders why Nate is telling him this. Does he have nothing to say about the story? "And, uh, why are you ignoring her?"

Nate's hands ball into fists. "I have my reasons," he says quietly.

Hugh shrugs. A part of him is dying to know what happened between Nate and Yancy. But another part of him can tell that Nate doesn't want to talk about it. Whatever happened must have really upset him to have him look as sad as he does right now.

"Hey," Hugh places his hand on Nate's shoulder. Together, they walk towards the station at the end of another seven battle streak, bringing their total up to 14. "It gets better. Believe me."

Nate gives Hugh a sideways glance. "Did things get better between you and Rosa?"

Hugh gives him a sad smile. "It did…"

"Yay!" cries Nate happily, jumping in the air.

"…for a while." finishes Hugh.

"Oh." Nate looks crestfallen.

"But the important part is, things did get better." Hugh continues with his story.

 _Five months ago_

Hugh tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his Pokémon to heal. He was leaning against the Pokémon Center counter, watching everyone around with disinterested red eyes. His team had been exhausted taking on grunt after grunt in the Plasma Frigate. Luckily, he had the help of Rosa and Cheren, the Aspertia City Gym Leader.

True to her word, Rosa had had his back whenever he took on Team Plasma. The blue-eyed girl was getting alarmingly strong. Although Hugh was proud of her, he couldn't help wondering when he was going to reach to her level. He worked hard, training his Pokémon whenever he could, but it always seemed like he was never as good as her.

Speaking of the devil, Rosa had entered the Pokémon Center was standing before him, hands on her hips.

He rolled his eyes. "What?"

"I just realized," she said icily. "That you-" she stuck her finger in his chest. "-never showed up to any of my movies!" She moved closer to him so that her nose was inches away from his.

"Uh…" said Hugh, not knowing what else to say. The fact that Rosa was in his face was making him extremely nervous and he couldn't think straight. His face turned red.

"I've been...meaning…to…" he stuttered, his heart thumping in his chest. He hoped she couldn't feel it.

She puffed her cheeks. Even though she was angry, Hugh found it incredibly cute. "Excuses," she snarled. "Well, you're not getting away this time, mister. You're coming with me for the premiere of _Full Metal Cop_."

Hugh bit his tongue to keep himself from blaring expletives at her. How could he tell her that he had no interest in watching movies? Rosa had invited him to all her movies so far and he had a sizeable collection of unused tickets in his backpack. The reason he didn't watch her movies wasn't that he was busy, as he claimed to be. It was because movies were incredibly lame and a waste of time. He would rather be training then spend two hours with his eyes stuck to a big screen.

Then again, maybe it couldn't hurt to watch _one_ movie. Especially if Rosa was in it.

Besides, it didn't seem like she was going to let him escape this time.

"Fine," he muttered, pushing her away so that he could breathe normally. "When is it?"

She gave him an evil smile. "That's actually the best part. It starts in-" she glanced at the clock on the wall. "-now." Ignoring his open mouth, she said, "You _do_ have a Pokémon that knows Fly, right?"

Half an hour later Rosa and Hugh were ushered into Pokéstar Studios by an irritated-looking producer. His lead actress had shown up late and then had the audacity to brush it off like it was no big deal. Hugh snickered to himself. Sass was gifted to a rare few, and Rosa was one of them.

The movie was much better than he expected. Of course, for someone who didn't watch a lot of movies, Hugh didn't really have anything to compare it to. But this was amazing. Rosa played the antagonist, the Sneasel Ninja, who was trying to steal something called the dynamatronic engine. Veteran actor Brycen played the Mecha Cop who tried to stop her. They were both talented actors, but Hugh found it difficult to concentrate on their performances when the sight of Rosa in her ninja outfit was giving him a nosebleed.

"So? How was it?" asked Rosa, as the two departed from the theater, surrounded by hoards of adoring fans. "Did you like it?"

"It was great," replied Hugh nonchalantly, watching her sign autographs. Some fans had even brought gifts, which she happily accepted. He wiped his nose discreetly. "I didn't know you were this famous."

"Pssh," Rosa waved her hand in his face, pretending to be modest. "I'm doing alright, I guess." She turned towards him, her eyes shining. "Thanks for coming, Hugh. I know you don't really like this stuff, so it means a lot to me that you came."

"Uh, no problem, I guess," said Hugh sheepishly. The producer came and congratulated her, apparently forgetting all about the delay she caused earlier. She turned to him and gave him a sunny smile, which caused him to turn pink. It then occurred to him that she was probably waiting for him to compliment her. "You were amazing. And, um, that outfit looked good on you."

Rosa blushed, but said nothing. There was an awkward silence.

"Well, I should get going then," said Hugh slowly. He pulled out his Poké Ball. "I'll see you around."

"Wait!" said Rosa suddenly. She bit her lip furiously. "Um, I was thinking, if you aren't doing anything right now, maybe we could hang out?"

Hugh stared at her.

"I mean," Her face was tomato red now. "We hardly see each other anymore, and when we do, it's usually to kick some bad guy's butt. I just though, we never really hang out, you know? Like how we used to back in Aspertia." She put on her puppy-dog look.

"I-" Hugh struggled with a reply. He had actually set aside this day to train some more for the Pokémon World Tournament, but with Team Plasma and the movie, his plans were up in smoke now.

Plus, how could he say no to that adorable face?

"Sure," he found himself saying. "What do you have in mind?"

Her eyes sparkled. "I know just the place."

"You _own_ this place?" said Hugh, his mouth open.

They were standing at the entrance to Join Avenue, the up and coming shopping street between Route 4 and Nimbasa City. The area was bustling with people and Pokémon alike. There was a restaurant, a mart, a beauty salon, a dojo, a flower shop and even a raffle shop. The area seemed quite popular and the visitors looked like they were enjoying themselves. Hugh's eyes bulged out of his head. _Rosa_ owned this?

"It's not much, I know," said Rosa shyly. "I'm hardly around, since I'm so busy traveling and stuff, but-"

"Are you kidding me?" said Hugh incredulously. "This is awesome. Seriously," He turned towards her, his red eyes flashing. "You are the most amazing person I know. You have five gym badges, you're a movie star, you won the Driftveil Regional Tournament and you're a business woman. Not to mention the fact that you've kicked Team Plasma's ass AND mine every time we've battled."

Hugh bit his tongue. What was wrong with him? It wasn't like him to praise people so eloquently like this. Dammit. This girl was messing with his head.

"Hugh," Rosa was gazing up at him with eyes full of something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Admiration? Tenderness? Love? "Everything I've accomplished so far – all those things you mentioned – it's all thanks to you. You've been there for me throughout my journey…even though I haven't always been there for you. You're so passionate about beating Team Plasma and getting Hana's Purrloin back. I don't think I could ever be as dedicated as you. You're the one who's amazing."

He shook his head. This mushy emotional stuff was making him weak, filling his mind with thoughts about Rosa that probably shouldn't be there. Like how brighter everything else looked when she smiled. Like how his knees went weak went he caught a whiff of her scent. Like how the touch of her hand made his heart go _thump thump thump_ , like he was back on the catwalk in the Nimbasa Gym.

He couldn't afford to get distracted. He knew his priorities – defeat Team Plasma and get Purrloin back. Everything else came later.

"Let's go," he said gruffly, trying to snap out of it.

"Over here." Rosa led him to a little restaurant called Deli Jasper. "Jasper makes this thing called the Friendly Drink that's like, the best thing I've ever tasted! Jasper!" she greeted the owner with her characteristic big smile.

"Ma'am," Jasper, who was only slightly older than Hugh, gave Rosa a wink. Hugh resisted the urge to unleash his rage on Jasper's face. "What can I get you today?"

"Two friendly drinks, please," she replied, waggling her fingers at him. "So how are you doing today?"

"It's been a good day, Ma'am," he said, getting their drinks ready. "Great crowd. I'll be able to upgrade the shop soon, I guess. All thanks to your generosity." He gave her a big smile.

"That's great news!" said Rosa happily. Hugh simmered slowly beside her. "Oh, by the way, this is my friend Hugh!" She motioned to the boy, who nodded at Jasper. Jasper stuck out his hand, but Hugh ignored him, instead choosing to grab his drink and walk away.

"Sorry about him," said Rosa hastily. "He's kinda moody. Thanks for the drinks, anyway." She slipped him some money and picked up her drink, before scampering off to join Hugh.

"That was rude," she stuck out her lower lip in annoyance. "You could have at least pretended to be nice!"

"Whatever," said Hugh, sipping on his drink noisily. He wanted to get as far away from Jasper as possible. "What else is there to do around here?"

"Well, we could go to the Raffle Shop, or the Mart, or…" she trailed off as he thought of something. "Wait! I have a better idea!"

"Yeah?" said Hugh, raising his eyebrows.

"I've always wanted to try it," she whispered. Her eyes gleamed. Hugh swallowed nervously.

She grabbed his wrist and sprinted down Join Avenue. "Come on!"

"Isn't it beautiful?" said Rosa excitedly.

There was a long line for the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel. Hugh and Rosa were smack dab in the middle of it, surrounded by simpering couples. The sun was close to setting and there was a romantic atmosphere in the air.

"I guess," said Hugh shortly. He didn't know why Rosa brought him here. What was she trying to tell him? That she liked him? No, that didn't make sense. Rosa had been his friend since forever. She probably didn't think of him as any more than a friend and maybe a rival. And chances were she was dating that Curtis guy anyway. Whoever he was.

Not that he cared, of course.

"Have you been here before?" she asked him, as they inched closer to the gate.

Hugh thought about it. "Well, Hana's been wanting to ride this for while now, but…" He gestured around them, embarrassed. "I don't really think I'm the kind of guy she should be bringing here."

Rosa gazed at him solemnly. "Do you ever think about that? Hana dating someone, I mean."

Hugh shoved his hands in his pockets. This was one of the thoughts he often tried ejecting from his head, along with his unfathomable feelings for his childhood friend. "I don't know. I wouldn't want her to, you know. She's only eleven. But I pity the fool who asks her out. 'Cause he'll have to go through me and my dad first."

Rosa shuddered. Hugh's dad was a black belt and not someone to be messed with.

"I wouldn't worry about that," said Rosa amiably. "If she's anything like you, she probably won't date until she's, like, thirty."

Hugh scowled and then followed her through the Ferris wheel gate. The operator guided them into one of the cars and shut the door. He gulped. The car was a lot smaller than he thought it would be.

Rosa was sitting opposite him. The space in the car was so little that their knees were practically smashed together. He grumbled inaudibly. Whoever designed this had done a really bad job.

"It's a tight fit, isn't it?" said Rosa, watching him. "You seem to be really uncomfortable."

He swallowed hard. What was he supposed to say? That the thought of sitting so close to her was making his stomach do somersaults? What would she make of that, anyway?

Rosa's blue eyes were worried. "We can leave if you want to-"

"No!" Hugh cut her off and shook his head violently. "Sorry. It's fine. I'm fine. It's okay. I can breathe. I can do this."

Rosa moved so that she was seated right next to him. She peered into his eyes. "Hugh," she said seriously. "Do you have claustrophobia?"

Hugh felt his temper rise. "Goddammit, woman, I said I'm fine!" He gripped the edges of the seat hard. The wave of anger disappeared just as suddenly as it came. "Rosa, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He ran his fingers through his hair.

Instead of getting upset, his companion just nodded at him. "You said you're fine. I'll take your word for it, then." She stood up and moved to observe the view.

The wheel began moving. While Rosa stood by herself, Hugh was extremely confused. Rosa had always been his best friend. She was someone he could be comfortable with, with whom he could be himself. He had never thought of her as anything other than that. Now, it seemed like she was invading everything he did. She was on his mind when he trained. She was on his mind when he battled. She even managed to disturb him when he thought of Team Plasma, something he didn't think was possible.

Surely he didn't like her as more than a friend? It was Rosa, for crying out loud. Even if she did smell like flowers and her hair was as soft as a Minccino's fur and her eyes-

"This. Is. Awesome." breathed Rosa, derailing his train of thought. She turned to him. "Seriously, Hugh, you gotta see this!"

Hugh shrugged and stood up to join her. They were now standing shoulder-to-shoulder (although Hugh was much taller than Rosa) in the extremely cramped car. The complete layout of Nimbasa City was before them, lit up in the evening. It was breathtaking.

"I can't believe I'm finally on this thing," whispered Rosa reverently. "I've been wanting to ride it for _so long_. Curtis kept saying we'd go together, but he's always busy with work." She pressed her face up against the glass.

He sucked in his cheeks. Here was the window he'd been waiting for. "So, um, what's going on between you and this Curtis guy, anyway?" He tried to sound as casual as possible.

She wrinkled her nose. "Curtis? I don't know. I mean, sometimes I think he likes me. But he never seems to have the time to talk, let alone meet. Honestly? I don't think it's going anywhere." Her arms dropped sadly against her sides.

Hugh tried his best to stop his mouth from spreading out into a big grin. "That sucks," he replied, trying to sound sympathetic.

They were now at the top of the Ferris wheel. The stars were out and looked magical against the lit-up city. An Emolga glided across the park.

She shrugged. "Eh. It wasn't meant to be I guess. Guys are just so complicated. Besides, I don't need anyone right now. I have you, right?" She turned towards him and smiled.

The stars were reflected in her blue eyes, making her look even more beautiful than she already was.

His head was telling him to focus. The goal was simple – get stronger and take down Team Plasma.

"Me?" he whispered. He was now facing her. Everything around them seemed insignificant.

"Sure," she replied. Her eyes crinkled at the edges. "Why would I need Curtis when I have you?"

 _Do NOT get distracted_ , warned his head. _That's all she is – a distraction._

Her hand found his. Gingerly, she curled her fingers around his. He found himself doing the same. Soon they were holding hands.

This wasn't like the time he held her hand and guided her through the sewers. This was different.

 _But sometimes,_ whispered a small voice in his heart. _Some things are worth getting distracted for._

That's when Hugh realized it.

He was in love with Rosa.


	8. Memories of First Kisses

Nate makes a noise somewhere between a squeal and a d'awww. Hugh raises his eyebrows. This is not a noise he expects a guy his age to make.

"That's adorable!" gushes Nate. He looks like he wants to jump up and hug Hugh, but the taller boy stops him just in time. For those of you keeping score at home, Nate and Hugh have won 16 battles in a row and are well on their way to meeting the Subway Bosses.

"So what happened next? Did you confess to her? Did she say yes? Did you kiss her? Did you two start dating? Tell me!" Nate is jumping up and down in excitement.

Hugh chooses not to reply. Instead, he drags his feet slowly to the next car, not unlike a tired old man who's forced to babysit his hyperactive grandson.

Thankfully, Nate's Xtransceiver rings again, silencing the boy. Hugh glances at it to see Yancy calling yet again. This time, Nate declines her call without even looking at the device. It's amazing to see how he can be so chipper and happy at one moment, then sullen at the mere mention of her.

The two boys deposit their Poké Balls into the computer for healing.

"Is Yancy your girlfriend?" asks Hugh.

Nate avoids his gaze. "Sort of," he says. He stares dully at the blank screen.

Hugh leans against the machine. "Tell me about her."

Nate perks up. "What can I say? She's pretty and smart and amazing and she likes to cook and she's-" Nate stops and sighs, "also a liar."

"What?" Hugh asks.

Their opponents have released their Pokémon, a Munna and a Swoobat. Nate shakes his head. "Never mind," he says.

After the battle begins, Nate pokes Hugh in the side.

"What?" asks Hugh irritably. He doesn't like being poked.

"Did you and Rosa ever…you know…" whispers Nate.

Hugh scowls. "If you're asking me if I've ever slept with Rosa, then I think you're a –"

"No!" cries Nate, his face scarlet. "I just wanted to know if you've ever _kissed_ her! Man!"

Hugh facepalms. "Good grief…"

* * *

 _Four months ago_

It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and sunny and the air smelled fresh and clean. Pidove cooed as they soared across the sky.

Hugh and Rosa were walking along a stream. His arm was around her as she clung to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, her brown hair tickling him in the neck. He patted the side of her arm.

"Oh, Hugh," said Rosa happily. "Isn't this amazing?"

"Indeed it is, my love," replied Hugh in a voice much deeper than usual. He quickly kissed the top of her head.

Rosa blushed. "You're so romantic, Hugh." She nuzzled against his neck. "I love you."

Hugh smiled and then leant down for a kiss. He puckered his lips in expectation.

"Hugh?" said Rosa uncertainly. "Um, Hugh? Hugh!"

He frowned. Why wasn't Rosa kissing him back? He leant closer.

"Hugh?" asked Rosa, more urgently this time. "Hugh!"

With a loud crash, Hugh found himself at the foot of his bed. The remnants of his dream faded away, and he woke up to find Rosa bent over him, peering at him anxiously.

"Hugh?" said Rosa. "Are you okay?" She helped him up.

He nodded mutely and sat down on the bed. Where was he? Oh, that's right. He had reached Undella Town last night and was now in his room at the Undella Bay Resort. Then why was Rosa here? How did she find him? They hadn't really spoken much since that evening in the Ferris wheel. What did she want now?

He suddenly realized that the only thing he was wearing were his Bouffalant boxers.

"Gah!" he yelped, trying to cover his crotch. Not that it made much of a difference. Before she could say anything else, he grabbed his backpack and rushed into the bathroom, emerging only once he was dressed in his signature outfit of black pants and t-shirt with a red and white jacket.

"What are you doing here?" he muttered, trying and failing to flatten his hair. He really needed to change his brand of hair gel. Kwilfish Kool apparently wasn't doing it for him anymore.

"Weeeell," sang Rosa, hands behind her back. "I thought we could spend the day together again! We've been so busy lately that we deserve a break! Don't you think so?"

"No," replied Hugh curtly. He found himself unable to look her in the eye. He wondered what she thought of his abs. Not that he had any. Still, he hoped she liked what she saw.

"Oh, come on," whined the girl. "We're in Undella Town! Let's hit the beach!"

"I have to train," he said, rummaging into his bag for his Poké Balls. Maybe he could grab a quick bite to eat and head for Route 13. It was rumored to be the longest route in Unova, and was practically littered with Trainers. As soon as he got rid of Rosa. The younger girl could be incredibly persistent when she wanted to be.

Rosa darted before him and promptly swiped the Poké Balls from his hand. "There," she announced triumphantly. "Now you don't." She threw a brown paper bag at him. "Breakfast." She then gestured to the Styrofoam cup she'd set down on the mantelpiece. "And coffee." Her last act was to throw something blue in his face. "Put this on and meet me at the bay." With that, she turned around and stalked out of the room.

Hugh peeled the pair of swimming trunks off his face and shook his head. "I was right," he mumbled to himself. "Looks like Rosa really is a Team Plasma member."

* * *

Half an hour later Hugh was walking down the shore in the trunks Rosa gave him. He felt completely naked, and it wasn't because of his lack of clothing. Rather, he didn't like the thought of wandering about without his Pokémon. What if Team Plasma showed up? He didn't want to feel helpless and useless again.

He had every intention of walking up to Rosa and demanding his Pokémon back, then resuming with his training. The fact that he had changed clothes had nothing to do with it.

Rosa was lying on a towel on the sand, sunbathing. She was wearing a pink bikini and shades. Beside her was another towel, a pair of slippers and a bag.

Hugh decided his best bet was to sneak his Poké Balls out of her bag. He crept closer, hoping she hadn't seen him yet, but stopped abruptly. Rosa's shades were glinting in the sun. Her pink lips pouted at the sky and her bare belly gleamed in the light. He caught sight of the outline of her bikini top, where the edges of her not-so-well-endowed chest could be seen. He blushed fiercely. His eyes traveled south, down her torso to her navel and below…

He quickly wiped away the drool from the corner of his mouth.

"Hugh!" said Rosa happily. She pushed up her sunglasses and sat up. "I can't believe you came! I totally thought you wouldn't. I mean, you can be such a Grouchy McGroucherson sometimes." She began speaking in a baritone. "I must go train. I must get stronger. I must fight Team Plasma."

"Rosa," he cleared his throat. "Can I have my Pokémon back? I wasn't lying when I said I had to train."

"No," replied Rosa stubbornly, folding her arms. She patted the towel next to her. "Come sit down."

"Rosa," said Hugh tiredly. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. This was going to be difficult. He could already feel himself getting worked up. And the last thing he wanted to do was yell at her again. "Stop wasting my time."

"Hugh!" countered Rosa. "What's wrong with you? You've always been so obsessed with training and beating Team Plasma. Why can't you just relax? Seriously. You gotta enjoy life as it comes. Who knows? One day you'll regret all these chances you missed."

Hugh opened his mouth to respond but Rosa cut him off.

"Don't." She shook her head. "Just don't. I was trying to be nice. Trying to get you to lighten up, but-" She stood up. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

Rosa began gathering her belongings, not meeting his eye. He could tell that she was trying her best not to cry. He remained silent. His mind replayed her last few lines over and over.

Finally Rosa turned to him. "Goodbye," she said softly. He watched her spin around and walk away. At last something clicked in his head.

"Rosa, wait!" Hugh leapt forward and grabbed her wrist. The feel of her skin sent a jolt of electricity down his arm, and he shivered.

As far as he was concerned, Rosa was wrong. He didn't see the point in relaxing when Team Plasma was still on the loose. Yes, maybe he was a tiny bit more concerned about destroying them than most people were. But he couldn't just sit idly while more Pokémon were being separated from their Trainers every day. He knew he'd be able to relax once Hana and Purrloin were reunited. If only Rosa understood that.

On the other hand, he had recently realized that he was in love with Rosa. His feelings for her were conflicting with his mission and clouding his judgment. He couldn't tell whether he was doing the right thing by hanging out with her when he could be getting stronger. Despite her constant annoyances, he truly cared about her and didn't want her to get upset.

"I'm sorry," he said, in a small voice. "I really want to spend the day with you, too. Please don't go."

Rosa glared at him for some time, but then smiled. "It's okay, dummy!" She knocked him lightly on the back of the head. "You just needed to be reminded about what's important. And having fun is really important. That's why we're going to have the best day ever!"

Hugh smiled and watched her ramble on about their plans for the day. He couldn't believe that he had been friends with this girl for eight years now and yet he hadn't realized how amazing she was. She was strong, beautiful, carefree, fun and happy – everything he wasn't. Not to mention she looked _really_ sexy in a bikini.

Rosa winked at him. "So, are we gonna go have fun, or are you just gonna stand there ogling me?"

* * *

And so Hugh found himself doing something he'd never thought he would do – taking a break. He spent his morning at the Undella Bay, sunbathing with Rosa. It was difficult at first; he was very antsy and kept a vigilant eye out for Team Plasma. But after she convinced him for the seventeenth time that everything was alright, he calmed down. She had given him his Poké Balls back and there was nothing to worry about.

The two had lunch in a small beach shack nearby. While the sun hadn't had much effect on Rosa, Hugh was distinctly browner, a fact that Rosa noticed as soon as they entered the restaurant.

"You're so lucky," she sighed, watching Hugh scan the menu. "I wish I could tan like you. You look amazing."

Hugh stopped inspecting the menu to gawk at her. "You think I look amazing?"

"Well, yeah, the tan looks great on you," replied Rosa, not noticing Hugh's breath hitch. Hugh sighed in disappointment while she continued, "So what do you wanna eat? Everything looks great here; though I'm not sure I wanna eat too much, since I realized my pants have been getting tighter every month…"

While she babbled away, Hugh resumed scanning the menu. He thought back to the morning's events. Even though Rosa had returned his Pokémon, he had still decided to spend the day with her. Her rant earlier hadn't made him change his mind, but it was enough to make him slow down for a minute.

Plus, she looked really cute when she was mad.

"So what can I get you?" asked the waiter, tapping his foot against the floor.

"Oh!" Rosa was flustered. "Um, salad, please. Thank you." She squirmed uncomfortably.

"Steak. Tofu." growled Hugh, passing the menu to the waiter. The man nodded and walked away.

The two sat in silence for a while. Rosa looked like she wanted to say something and kept swallowing nervously. Hugh folded his arms, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she said, "I'm really glad you came. I've been worried about you."

"Yeah?" said Hugh, raising his eyebrows. Rosa was worried about him? Why? Did she think about him as much as he thought of her?

Rosa sighed. "Hugh, you're my best friend. I care about you a lot, you know? And, well, it seems like ever since we left home, you've been so obsessed with Team Plasma. I get that you wanna find Purrloin, but it's all you ever talk about!"

Hugh's hands clenched into fists. _No._ Surely Rosa wasn't going to give him grief about finding his sister's Purrloin, only the most important thing to him. He thought she understood. He thought she was helping him.

"Don't get me wrong," added Rosa hastily. "I know how important it is to you. But I just want you to slow down a little. Take a break now and then. Don't overwork yourself and your Pokémon."

Hugh remained silent. He knew she had a point, but he didn't want to admit it.

The waiter arrived with their food. Rosa welcomed the distraction to dig into her salad, while Hugh just stabbed at the mushrooms that accompanied his steak over and over. He hadn't really thought about it before. Was he really overworking his Pokémon? Did they hate him? He cared about them a lot and didn't want anything to happen to them.

Just like Rosa cared about him.

"Don't be mad at me," pleaded the girl. She placed her hand over his. Apparently holding hands was a thing they did now. "I just can't see you like this, that's all. It hurts."

A lump was starting to form in his throat. He wanted so badly, right there and then, to wrap her into his arms and hold her close. To let her know he was okay and she shouldn't worry. To tell her how much he loved her.

He swallowed hard.

"I'm not mad at you," he replied hoarsely. He gripped her hand hard. His steak lay there, untouched. "You're right. I've been working too hard. I needed this. I'm going to stop worrying about Team Plasma and Purrloin and enjoy our journey."

"Really?" Rosa's eyes were shining. "Thank you so much, Hugh!" She clasped both of his hands. "I really don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will," he replied. His palms were beginning to sweat. He hoped she couldn't feel it. He knew he would kiss her if she continued holding his hands, so he pulled away. "Let's continue eating." He began stabbing his steak, his heart beating fast. Damn Rosa.

* * *

After lunch, Hugh and Rosa had a Pokémon battle. Hugh was eager to see how his fully evolved Pokémon would do against her. It was an exciting battle and Hugh was determined to win against her at least once. However, Rosa beat him again. His three-Pokémon team proved to be no match for her. She let her aptitude for strategy shine through again and shot down his Unfezant with a crippling blow. Again, Hugh felt a mixture of sadness and pride. He wondered when he would get as strong as her.

They spent the afternoon swimming in the bay. Rosa managed to pull a prank on the unsuspecting Hugh by grabbing and pulling his leg underwater. He was furious and tried to get her back for it, but failed. However, karma intervened and helped him out by having a Jellicent pull her away, before Hugh called on the Tynamo he'd just started training to help her out.

They walked along the beach in the evening. Neither of them said anything for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"So," said Rosa finally. "How was it? Did you enjoy the day?"

Hugh thought about it. Despite the serious conversation they'd had during lunch, it had been a pretty fun day. He hadn't spent a day like this – not training – in a long time. In fact, it wasn't since Rosa had forced him to watch a movie with her a month ago. He was probably the happiest he'd ever been today.

He glanced at her and smiled. "Yeah. I did, actually. Thanks for making me to take a break. I guess I needed it."

Rosa turned pink. "You're welcome, Hugh. You know I'd do anything for you."

They continued walking, a comfortable silence between them. She linked her arm with his. She glanced up to see if he was okay with it. The boy had turned Cheri Berry red, but hadn't said anything, which she took as a green light. So she rested her head on his shoulder.

Hugh was uncomfortable. Not because he didn't like it, but because he liked it a little too much. What was his next move? Was she expecting him to hold her? Did she want to be patted on the head like a Pokémon? Was he overthinking this? He finally decided to just hold hands with her, as was the norm now.

"Look," she said softly. He turned in the direction she was pointing and caught sight of the sun slowly sinking into the ocean.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered. He turned to look at her. Her face was illuminated in the orange light, and the setting sun was reflected in her eyes.

A feeling came over him, not unlike the one he experienced on the Ferris wheel. His heart bounced in his chest like a Spoink. He found himself moving automatically. He brushed her arm off and held her hand. His other hand cupped her face.

"Rosa," he whispered. He was gazing into her eyes, blue and beautiful. He stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"Hugh," she whispered back. Her voice was husky and her breathing was ragged. Their faces were drawing near, their noses almost touching.

Their lips met, slowly at first. He let go of her hand to cup her other cheek, while both her hands were in his hair. Her lips were soft and tasted of Sitrus. His heart was pounding in his chest. Even though he'd been trying to keep his hands off her all day, ultimately, he failed. But for some reason, he wasn't feeling guilty or embarrassed. For the first time, he felt complete. Like he'd finally come home after a long, long journey. Like he'd finally found what he'd been looking for. And no, it wasn't Purrloin.

He pressed against her lips harder, deepening the intensity of their kiss. She responded by opening her mouth wider, granting him access to her tongue. He let his own tongue explore her mouth. Soon, they were kissing passionately before the Unova sunset.

Her arms traveled down his body, setting his skin ablaze in the process. It was like she was turning on switches down his neck and across his back. They finally stopped at the waistband of his trousers. He let his own arms drop down to her neck, where they found the knot that was holding her bikini top in place. Hugh withdrew his tongue, allowing himself to think. If he undid that knot, there would be no turning back. He tugged on the bow lightly, trying to decide what to do.

"No!" came a shrill voice behind them. "Stop!"

Hugh groaned and pulled away. He wanted to punch the person screaming for interrupting his long-awaited moment with Rosa. They blinked at each other, panting, before turning to the source of the commotion.

A small boy was chasing behind two people clothed in black. Hugh recognized them immediately as Team Plasma members. They were laughing at the boy, and one of them was holding a Lillipup, who was barking angrily at the men.

"Hugh?" said Rosa, but he ignored her. He quickly ran up to the boy.

"Hey!" he barked, shaking him violently. "What's going on?"

The boy was close to tears. "They…stole…my…Lillipup…" he blubbered.

At that moment, everything turned red. Hugh was infuriated. He quickly pulled out his Poké Ball. But before he could do anything else, the two grunts called on their own Pokémon and flew away.

"No," he whispered. The boy clung to his jacket, tears flowing down his face. Rosa ran up to them.

"What happened?" she demanded. Both the boys paid no attention to her.

He couldn't believe it. It was happening all over again.

He was helpless and useless, watching another Pokémon get stolen by Team Plasma.

And it was all her fault.

Without another word, he brought out his Unfezant. "Fly," he instructed the bird, who immediately obeyed.

The last thing he heard was the girl he loved screaming his name as he disappeared over the horizon.


	9. Memories of the Plasma Frigate

Nate slaps Hugh on the arm. Hard.

"Ouch!" Hugh rubs his arm furiously. He hates Nate right now, but he knows he deserved that.

"You. Dick." Nate hisses. If he were a Pokémon, he would be using Mean Look right now.

Hugh wishes he had a sharp retort for that, but all he can do is nod sadly.

"I know," he mutters.

"How could you do that to her?" Nate runs his hand through his palm-tree like hair. "It wasn't her fault. You just don't realize how awful she felt! She's had those feelings for a while now, just like you have! She's tried to use every chance she got to spend time with you. And you? You reject her advances like the cold-hearted Klang you are. Too busy to see her. Every time you two get together, it's just another lie in your relationship. It's all a game to you, isn't it?"

Hugh is silent. Something tells him Nate isn't talking about Rosa anymore.

"ISN'T IT?" screams Nate.

"Calm down!" Hugh replies, panicked. Their next opponents are the Subway Bosses at the end of their 21-win streak, and Hugh doesn't want them to think that Nate isn't stable. Even though he probably isn't.

But Nate's words have got him thinking. Now that he looks back on it, abandoning Rosa after their first kiss wasn't the worst thing he did to her. What would Nate say if he heard what happened next?

"I just hope Team Plasma was worth it," says Nate cattily.

Hugh sighs.

"You're right," he says. "I'm a terrible person. I deserved that. I've been awful to her. If I could go back in time and undo what I've done, I totally would. In a heartbeat."

Nate is silent.

Hugh gives a bitter smile. "You just don't know how right you are," he says.

* * *

 _Two months ago_

Hugh paced angrily on the shore. The Plasma Frigate was anchored just before him on Route 21. He couldn't believe it. After searching for so long…his target was right before his eyes.

After the fiasco that was his and Rosa's sort-of date in Undella Town, Hugh hadn't spoken to her much. His first task was to find the Lillipup that Team Plasma had stolen from the little boy in Undella. He hadn't succeeded, however; all his leads were dead-ends. He had run into Rosa in Lacunosa Town and together they fought Zinzolin of the Seven Sages and a grunt. (It seemed like Team Plasma followed her everywhere she went).

She had called him plenty of times during the two months between the kiss and now; sometimes he answered, usually he didn't. She kept saying she wanted to talk to him, but he didn't want to talk to her at all. They caught up again in Humilau City, where they both received their eighth badge. Hugh continued to avoid her. It had taken Team Plasma's reappearance in Undella Town to convince him that she was nothing more than a distraction – and he was very distracted. He decided he was going to spend the rest of his journey focusing on Team Plasma. Screw Rosa. He couldn't love her. There were more important things to worry about.

Rosa had found the Plasma Frigate and had immediately summoned him there. Of course, being the jerk that he was, he continued ignoring her. He was starting to feel guilty for his behavior, but his ego wouldn't let him stop. She told him she was going to heal her Pokémon and be right back, so he waited. He was tempted to break into the Frigate and finish them off himself, but he knew that would be stupid. There was no telling how many grunts were in there, or how strong they were.

"I'm back," said Rosa, emerging from the Seaside Cave. She smiled at him but he looked away.

"Let's go," He nodded at the Frigate.

"Wait," said Rosa. However, Hugh wasn't in the mood to listen. He jumped on the gangplank that Marlon, the Gym Leader of Humilau City, had put up and ran into the ship.

Immediately he was ambushed by a group of Team Plasma grunts. He called on his Pokémon. "Let's do this."

He and Rosa easily took on the grunts, who kept using the same combination of low-leveled Pokémon. Rosa kept interrupting him between battles, but he didn't pay any attention to her.

"I'm going to look for Zinzolin," he announced, once all the grunts had been dealt with.

"Hugh!" cried Rosa. "Can you at least look at me?"

"Later," he replied, his voice cold. He sped off to the end of the ship.

He knew he was being stupid, but he simply couldn't bring himself to talk to her. He had wasted so much time being with her and even thinking about her when she wasn't around. Precious time that could be spent tracking down Purrloin. Hell, even now he was wasting his time thinking about her when he could be enjoying the battle he was currently having with the grunt.

"Hugh!" Rosa was running towards him. Apparently she had just defeated the grunts on the other end.

She tapped on his shoulder, wanting him to turn around. He shrugged her hand off. Its presence on his shoulder brought back a flood of memories from two months ago, which he had no plans of visiting again.

"I'm going in," said Hugh, nodding towards the door. "Come on. We don't have any more time to waste."

"Hey!" cried Rosa, but she followed him in. They came across another two grunts.

"Hugh, I really need to talk to you," said Rosa urgently. The grunts sent out their Pokémon.

"Let's battle," replied Hugh, sending out his own Pokémon. Rosa did the same.

"It's really important," she insisted. The opposing team's Seviper hit his Pokémon hard. Hugh gritted his teeth.

This was so Rosa. To try to distract him again while he was dealing with Team Plasma. Hugh felt his rage reaching close to the surface.

"Does this look like a good time?" he barked. The two Plasma grunts snickered.

Rosa's Pokémon, which had evolved to its final form since she got it from Bianca, hit the Seviper angrily in revenge. "When is a good time for you?" she shrieked. "You've been avoiding me for, what, two months now! And there's also the fact that you just can't seem to face me! I – dammit, Hugh, JUST LOOK AT ME!" She screamed the last part out loud.

The Pokémon stopped their battle to stare at her. The Team Plasma grunts just stood there, stunned. Hugh froze. He didn't quite know what to say. Slowly he turned to face her.

At first, he almost didn't recognize her. Rosa's soft brown hair was lank and dull. Her buns hung sadly by the side of her head. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears. There were dark circles under them. Her cheeks were sunken and hollow and the corners of her mouth were turned downwards.

The same mouth he'd so passionately kissed two months ago…

Anger burned up his insides. He turned his attention back to his Pokémon. "Hey!" he roared. "Stop stalling and hit back! Get ready!"

Rosa stood quiet beside him. Her Pokémon had decided to go ahead without waiting for instructions from her. It was doing quite well by itself. Hugh could hear her choke back a few sobs. Remorse filled his heart. What was wrong with him?

He shook his head. No time for angst now. He had to beat these punks quick and find Purrloin.

"Hugh," said Rosa quietly. There was an edge in her voice, one he had never heard before. "I'm about to say something really important. And I want you to listen to me."

Hugh recalled his Pokémon. Rosa stood there expectantly, waiting for his attention. However, he just released his elemental monkey, ignoring her.

"Fine." She gritted her teeth. "Even if you aren't going to listen, I'm going to say it anyway. We've been best friends for years, Hugh, and you're one of the most important people in my life. You've believed in me and made me strong – and my Pokémon, too. You always make me smile and I love that I can be myself around you, you know?"

"Are we seriously listening to this now?" The two grunts rolled their eyes.

Hugh had to agree. All the drama Rosa had been causing all this time was just to praise him? He was flattered, but it didn't change things. He still didn't want to get near her.

"Yes. Yes you are." she replied. Hugh could feel Rosa smiling beside him. He missed that smile. The smile that would light up days of long and arduous training and instantly make everything better.

"Anyway," continued Rosa. The four Pokémon continued their battle, oblivious to Rosa's feelings. His Unfezant and Rosa's Pokémon were mercilessly attacking the lone Drapion belonging to the grunt. "Lately, I've realized that I've been feeling so strongly about you – stronger than a friend should. I've been thinking about you a lot. Even when I shouldn't. You're always on my mind. And I care about you so much, you wouldn't believe. I guess what I'm trying to say is – I love you, Hugh."

The grunts stared at her, their mouths open. Their last Pokémon fell to the ground with an agonizing cry. They quickly recalled the Pokémon and scurried away, muttering something about barriers.

Meanwhile, Hugh had turned to stone. Rosa's words kept ringing into his ears over and over like a Chatot's cry.

 _I love you, Hugh._

She loved him. Rosa loved him, just like he loved her. Maybe as much as he loved her. Maybe more.

Fireworks were exploding in his stomach. He was happy. Unbelievably happy. He felt like all his dreams were coming true, all at once.

Then he remembered. This was the same girl that had prevented him from saving that little boy's Lillipup. The same girl that had thrown a wrench into his plan to find Purrloin. In other words, his biggest distraction.

His rage bubbled over the pot and splashed onto the stove.

"Hugh," Rosa had recalled her Pokémon and was now patting his Unfezant's head. "I know you-"

"Shut up," he growled. "Just _shut up._ "

"What?" said Rosa. He could feel the hurt in her voice.

"I'm on a mission," he said. He held out his hand and his Unfezant flew towards him. "To find my sister's Purrloin. Along the way, I'm going to take care of Team Plasma. I'm going to finish them once and for all."

He turned to face her, his eyes blazing. "I don't care if you love me. It doesn't make a difference to me either way. To me, you'll always be nothing but a distraction." A beautiful, pretty-smelling _distraction_.

Rosa was astounded.

"You take care of this," he nodded at the barriers before them. "I'll be on the other side, kicking more Team Plasma butt. I'll be back if I need to. Not otherwise. Not for you. Do you understand?"

There was no reply. He recalled his Pokémon and stalked out of the room.

Little did he know that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.


	10. Memories of the End

Nate is silent.

Hugh keeps glancing at Nate, wondering when he'll speak up. They are on the train back to Nimbasa City, having just lost against the Subway Bosses Emmet and Ingo. Nate has been uncharacteristically quiet since then. Hugh wonders if it's because they lost, or if it's because he just found out the full extent of Hugh's douchebaggery. Hugh suspects it's the latter.

Finally, he can't take it anymore. "Say something, dammit!" he demands.

Nate shakes his head, as if to snap out of a daydream. He stares at Hugh for the longest time. "You know," he says finally, "I've always thought that what Yancy did to me was bad. That I could never find anyone as cruel as she was to me. But I guess I was wrong. There are worse people on this planet. I just hadn't met you then."

Hugh doesn't reply. The guilt burns up his insides like acid.

"I was so naïve back then," continues Nate. He gives a hollow, humorless laugh. "Yancy is like a goddess compared to you. Hell, Team Plasma are like charity workers compared to you."

If Nate had said that two months ago, Hugh would have punched him to next Tuesday for that comment. But he doesn't move a muscle. Instead, he asks, "What happened between you and Yancy?"

"Um," Nate bites his lip. Hugh notices that Nate is prone to doing that when he's talking about her. "We were in love."

"Yeah?" says Hugh. It feels nice to talk to Nate about something that isn't Rosa.

"Yeah," replies Nate. "We met when I found something she'd lost. She was beautiful, smart and funny – we just clicked, you know?"

Hugh nods. He knows.

"Anyway, so we started talking. Like, a lot. I mean, she didn't have much time to talk to me, cause her job got in the way, but she always called when she had a signal." Nate pauses.

The train jerks forward suddenly, and Hugh hits his head against the back of the seat before him. But he urges Nate to go on.

"Slowly, I fell in love with her. One day, I asked her to meet me at the Ferris Wheel. You know, the same one you and Rosa rode? So I told her how I felt. Turns out, she'd been feeling the same way."

Hugh smiles. He's happy for Nate, but his happiness is punctured by the fact that this story doesn't end well.

"We began dating after that. I mean, whenever we could, anyway. Whenever I asked her to meet me, she was always busy and had her job to go to. And our calls were always cut short by her coworkers calling her to work. It got annoying after a while.

Nate pauses to catch his breath.

"So one day, when I called her, her coworker answered the Xtransceiver. And you won't believe who it was. It was Pokémon Idol Nancy."

"Yancy works with Pokémon Idol Nancy?" Hugh raises an eyebrow, impressed. "That's cool. And it rhymes."

Nate shakes his head. "No. I mean, Nancy answered the Xtransceiver, but I recognized her. It was Yancy. Yancy, in her work clothes. _Yancy is Pokémon Idol Nancy._ "

Hugh hisses in shock.

"Yeah," says Nate sadly. "I was confused too, at first. But then I did a little digging. I realized Yancy never told me what her job was. That's why she never had time for me. She'd hidden such a big part of her life from me."

He slumps in his seat.

"And then, when I called her up again to talk about it, she kept lying to me. She insisted it was her coworker who answered the Xtransceiver, and that she wasn't a Pokémon Idol. That hurt. A lot. Since then, I haven't spoken to her."

"Oh." Hugh doesn't know what else to say. As much as he tries to convince himself otherwise, that was nowhere as bad as what he did to Rosa.

Nate shakes his head. "But I'll deal with that later. Anyway, tell me what happened between you and Rosa then. I hope you apologized to her."

Hugh's face scrunches up, like he's about to cry. Nate looks alarmed. But then Hugh just swallows hard and continues with his story.

* * *

 _One month ago_

It was a beautiful spring day.

The crater's forest in the Giant Chasm was usually eerie and silent, but today it was teeming with life. The indigenous Pokémon were alert, for they could sense something in the air. Something big. And it probably had something to do with the monster hidden deep within.

A tall boy stood by the entrance, watching the scene unfold before him. Rood, one the seven sages formerly in Team Plasma, was arguing with a few members of Neo Team Plasma. The boy crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes traveling back and forth between both sides. At any other time, he would usually be up there with them, fuelling the argument, but today he was quiet.

He ran his hand through his Qwilfish-like hair. _Where was she?_

Hugh had been having the worst month of his life. Ever since that day on the Plasma Frigate, nothing had been the same. For starters, his sort-of relationship with Rosa had ended. Granted, he had been giving her the cold shoulder before that, but the incident that day had really sealed the deal. Hugh still found it hard to believe that Rosa _loved_ him. He wondered if she still did, after all the terrible things he had said to her.

He winced as he remembered that day. It wasn't that he didn't love Rosa – because he did, despite convincing himself that he shouldn't. Somehow his bull-headed ego had managed to get in the way and ruin things. He had realized his mistake as soon as he left the ship, but by then it was too late. He called her plenty of times since then, but she never returned his calls. And he briefly ran into her a few minutes back at the entrance cave, but she ignored him.

Just like he had ignored her before.

It was driving him nuts. He couldn't take it anymore. Several sleepless nights and tears had convinced him that he had screwed up, big time. Hugh was determined to apologize to Rosa anyhow and tell her he loved her. And he would do it as soon as this mission was over.

Because right now, he really needed his head in the game.

Today was the big day. The day he finally took down Team Plasma and got back Purrloin. He could feel it in his bones. He was going to do it, once and for all.

All that was left was for Rosa to arrive. When he last saw her, she had been battling her way through the cave. It was only a matter of time before she got here.

And there she was. She stepped outside the cave, her eyes tired and her brow covered with sweat. Squinting, she made her way towards the small group.

Hugh straightened up. She didn't look as terrible as she had back at the Plasma Frigate, but she didn't look great either. She nodded at him as she approached the group.

"Hugh," she said curtly.

"Rosa," he whispered. He had so much to tell her – and even more to apologize for. "Rosa, I-"

She simply held up her hand, indicating he should stop. He felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. Karma was a bitch, indeed. It was clearly bent on making him suffer, like Rosa had suffered for those two months.

Rosa poked an ex-Team Plasma grunt in the side. "What's going on here?" she asked.

Hugh sighed as the grunt proceeded to fill her in on the argument before them. His fingers itched to grab her hand, to force her to look into his eyes. To open her ears and force her to listen to his apologies. But deep down, he knew that he deserved every bit of pain he was feeling.

He watched the argument unfold before him. He also watched Rosa not-so-discretely flirt with the ex-Team Plasma. Yep. Every bit of pain.

Rood continued to urge the Neo Team Plasma members to give up on their job. However, they clearly weren't listening, this close to their goal. He pulled out his Poké Ball.

"Well," he shrugged. "That didn't work. HEY!"

The whole group turned to face him. Hugh could feel Rosa's eyes boring into his skin like laser beams. He turned red.

"Let me through," he instructed the Team Plasma members.

"What are you trying to do?" sneered one of them. "Looking to get hurt?"

Hugh clenched his fists. Time to unleash his rage.

"I'm going to get a stolen Pokémon back," he replied, his voice uncharacteristically low. "I'm not going to listen to villains like you."

Everyone exchanged glances of confusion, Rosa included. Hugh tried to catch her eye, but she stubbornly gazed away.

"Why do you have Pokémon by your sides?" he continued. His voice rang through the forest. "To protect what's important to you, right? Even if your precious Pokémon get hurt, even if your ideals are damaged, the time to fight is NOW!"

"Whatever." One of the Neo Team Plasma members rolled her eyes. "You're just a kid. Quit trying to act so cool." She turned to her companions. "Nobody's getting close to the Plasma Frigate. Wipe them ALL out!"

Two of the grunts stepped forward. Hugh groaned. He had multi battled several trainers and grunts with Rosa, but he wasn't sure he could do it today. He turned towards her. Every time they battled together, there was always that unspoken glance between them that said _I've got your back._ Their synchronization and understanding helped pull off most battles flawlessly.

This time, however, Rosa refused to look at him. Instead, she said, "I'll handle this one. You take the other."

Hugh opened his mouth to yell at her, but bit back his words. Nope. He deserved this. The two of them quickly took down the grunts.

"Rosa," he said, grabbing the girl's hand. More Team Plasma grunts were arriving, but for once he ignored them. "You have to listen to me. I-"

She dug her elbow in his stomach, not letting him finish. He groaned in pain.

Rood handed them a few Max Revives. "Their backup has arrived." He nodded towards the forest. "But we can handle them. You two get going."

"Roger," Rosa nodded at the man. Before they could leave, Rood beckoned to Hugh.

"About the Pokémon you're looking for," he said. "In all likelihood, it is in possession of the Shadow Triad – the dark warriors who appear silently."

Hugh scratched his head, trying to understand. Then he remembered. _Opelucid City…_

However, Purrloin didn't seem that important anymore.

His goal was finally in sight – but had it been what he was looking for?

"If I rescue it, it helps you guys absolve your guilt, doesn't it?" Hugh replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Guess I'll help you out."

Hugh and Rosa sped on ahead, deeper into the forest. When Team Plasma was finally out of sight, he stopped. "Rosa," he whimpered. The lump in his throat had turned his voice hoarse. He had to tell her. Before he found Purrloin. She had to know. "Rosa, please…"

But his ex-best friend had already disappeared.

* * *

Hugh ran past the warp panels, confused. Hours of battling countless Team Plasma grunts had left him dizzy, and his Pokémon tired. He wanted to sit down for a while and catch his breath. But he couldn't. Somewhere on this ship was the Pokémon he lost five years ago. Every second he wasted was another second that kept Purrloin away from Hana.

And also on this ship was the girl who used to be his best friend. The girl who loved him. The girl who he loved. And, being the colossal male appendage that he was, he had broken her heart and neglected to tell her how he felt. He had to fix things soon.

Stepping on a panel to the left of the room, he was immediately transported to some sort of office. Before him was a wall covered with television screens. There was a revolving chair and a desk before it.

Hugh was suddenly aware of the presence of another two people in the room besides him. One of them was Rosa, her eyes determined. The other was some sort of white-haired ninja that looked vaguely familiar.

 _The Shadow Triad…_

There it was. His ultimate choice. His mission or his feelings? His head or his heart?

Without thinking, he turned to face them.

"Aren't you one of the Shadow Triad?" he questioned the man, his eyes narrowed.

The man said nothing, electing to cross his arms over his chest instead. Hugh took this as a yes.

He marched over to the man, grabbing him by the collar. "Tell me about the Purrloin that was stolen in Aspertia." he demanded.

The man let out a harsh, bark-like laugh. "You're going to have to let me go if you want that information." His voice was low and raspy, but Hugh knew he meant business.

He pushed the man away with as much force as he could conjure. The man fell against the desk, scattering a bunch of papers that were on it. Without missing a beat, he stood up, craning his neck to the side with a loud _crack_.

"Very well," he whispered, gracefully pulling out a Poké Ball. "This might be it."

And before Hugh stood the Pokémon he had spent a year searching. The same Purrloin that he and his grandfather had caught so long ago for his baby sister. Only this wasn't a Purrloin – it was a Liepard. It hissed at him angrily, clawing the air.

"I stole this Pokémon five years ago in Aspertia." the man rasped, licking his lips. "So it seems likely that it is the Pokémon you're talking about. But now, it only listens to my commands. Such is the fate of Pokémon that are trapped in Poké Balls!"

Hugh could feel his whole world come crashing around him. Purrloin – had evolved? He kicked himself for not thinking about. For not considering the simple fact that yes, Purrloin was strong, and yes, Team Plasma would probably train and misuse it. How could he have not seen this coming?

He sank to his knees. Hugh wasn't a person to call home often, but when he did, Hana always demanded to speak to him. She would ask him about his journey so far and whether he'd found Purrloin yet. And every time Hugh's heart would sink for having to disappoint her.

Even if he did get this Purrloin – sorry, _Liepard_ back home, there was no telling whether it would even recognize Hana or listen to her. Everything…all wasted…

It couldn't be Hana's Purrloin. It couldn't, it couldn't, it couldn't!

"Don't mess with me," he replied hoarsely. The lump in his throat was back and bigger than before. "That's someone else's Pokémon!"

The Shadow Triad member laughed again. "Ah…I feel sorry for Pokémon." he mocked, patting Liepard on the head. "They're ruled by Poké Balls and the whims of their trainers. Lord Ghetsis spoke of liberation two years ago simply for his own ambitions, but if his plans had succeeded, many Pokémon would have been saved. This Liepard," he scratched it behind the ears, "well, you knew it as Purrloin – if it had been released, it might have returned to you."

He ignored Hugh's sharp intake of breath and turned towards Rosa. "Well then," he licked his lips again. "You! I won't let you interfere with Lord Ghetsis's plans!"

Rosa, who had been silent the entire time, released her Pokémon.

He simply stood there watching Purr – uh, Liepard, as Rosa battled the Shadow Triad member. His mind was blank. He couldn't think of the next step. All those things he was worried about earlier – defeating Team Plasma, confessing to Rosa – nothing mattered anymore. It was like life had led him down a long, winding path, only to end up at a blind alley.

Life could be a giant pain in the Azelf sometimes.

Rosa continued to battle the entire Shadow Triad, who had shown up later. He knew he should have been up there, fighting alongside her. But Hugh felt too weak to stand up. Drained up of all this energy and rage. So tired. He just wanted to curl up there and fall asleep and wake up with _his_ Purrloin next to him…

Finally defeated by Rosa, the leader of the Shadow Triad shook his head. "No matter. The only thing you can do is watch Lord Ghetsis use Kyurem to freeze Unova solid. That's all…"

 _What?_

He turned towards Hugh. "You. I'll return this Pokémon to you. Considering what Lord Ghetsis is about to do, I have no further need for it." With that, the three men vanished into thin air.

He and Rosa – and Liepard – were now alone in the room.

She faced him, as though expecting him to say something. She didn't seem angry anymore. Her eyes were filled with pity.

When he continued to remain silent, she knelt down before him. "Hey," she whispered. She patted him arm comfortingly. "It's going to be alright."

He nodded. Liepard, abandoned by its master, curled up in the revolving chair. The two sat there in silence.

Finally, Hugh spoke up. "Hey, Rosa?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"If we let Team Plasma do whatever they want," he whispered. "There'll be more sad Pokémon like Purrloin and Kyurem…"

"Yes," replied Rosa solemnly. "Yes, there will." She stood up to leave.

"Wait!" blurted Hugh. She looked at him inquiringly.

"I'm sorry," he said, staring directly into her eyes. "For everything."

She smiled at him. Despite the events of earlier, his heart soared, and he instantly knew he was forgiven.

"Oh," he remembered. "And I wanted to tell you that- that I-" He stopped suddenly.

"What?" said Rosa curiously.

He smiled. "Nothing. It can wait." He nodded towards the warp panel. "I think you have a world to save."

She laughed, the beautiful, musical laugh he'd missed for so long. "You're right. I'll see you soon, then." With a flash of green light, she was gone.

He knew the right thing to do would be to follow her out of the room. How could one teenage girl save Unova alone? He was selfish for wanting to stay behind with Liepard.

Then again, this was no ordinary teenage girl. This was Rosa, the most amazing girl he knew. All his life, he'd been obsessed with getting stronger. And yet she had beaten him every single time they battled. He always wondered when he'd get to be as strong as her. Now he knew that he could never reach her level. All he could do was comfort her and support her as she took on the ultimate enemy.

He smiled to himself as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He didn't care. As far as he knew, everything was going to be alright.

That was Hugh and Rosa's last moment together.

* * *

Hugh will always associate Natural Harmonia Gropius with pain and sadness. That's because the first time N had met Hugh, he told him the most terrible news he had ever heard.

N arrived in Ghetsis's office to find Hugh curled up against the wall, staring into space. Liepard had been clawing at the chair. The boy seemed lost and confused, but he recognized N, the man behind his mission. But despite his hatred towards the man, he didn't immediately pounce on him and kill him. In fact, his first words were, "Where's Rosa?"

And so N told Hugh the whole sad story.

When his dragon informed him about the activities in the Giant Chasm, N did his best to get here as fast as possible. He rushed through the forest, knocking out any Neo Team Plasma members he encountered on the way.

The next thing he saw was a brown-haired girl skating over the ice outside the Plasma Frigate. He didn't know who she was, but there was something about her that seemed so _familiar_. There was that glint in her eyes that he had seen in only one other person – the hero who saved Unova. He instantly knew that this girl was on her way to repeat history.

He stealthily followed her towards the Inner Cave, his dragon trailing behind him. Although it was huge, it understood its friend well enough to know that it had to be quiet. N hid behind the rock and watched.

There he saw Rosa come face to face with the man he loved and despised at the same time. His father – Ghetsis Harmonia.

Ghetsis was holding a cane of some sort, and his appearance had changed. He looked older and even more terrifying. N shuddered. His dragon, sensing his discomfort, wanted to attack. But N warned it not to. It wasn't time yet.

"The Giant Chasm," stated Ghetsis. The sound of his voice released a flood of emotion in N's heart.

"This is the spot where Kyurem's power resonates," he continued. "Here, Kyurem can use the full extent of its power and easily cover all of Unova in ice!"

N's breath hitched. Of course. His father hadn't changed one bit.

Rosa faced Ghetsis defiantly, not saying a word. N saw his father pace across the cave. Then he did something strange: he tapped his cane hard into the ground.

"Kyurem, come!" he called.

The string of events that followed next were difficult to comprehend. At one moment the cave was cold and dry, and next there was a flurry of ice that blew through it. N's dragon shielded him, protecting him from the cold. Rosa covered her eyes.

And before them stood a new visitor. The third of the Legendary Dragon trio of Unova – Kyurem.

It gave a deafening cry that echoed within the walls of the cave. N's eyes widened. _This_ was Kyurem?

Apparently his friend recognized it. The dragon nudged N, telling him not to worry. But N was not convinced. Just by observing the beast he could tell that there was something not right with it. That it wasn't happy.

It made him sad.

"I have a memory that continued to haunt me," said Ghetsis. "Just one. That unpleasant look in your eyes reminds me of it. That aside, this is my gift to you to show my respect for making it this far."

He tapped his cane on the ground again. "I'll freeze you solid right here so you can watch my glorious ascent!"

N gasped. Surely his father wasn't going to kill this little girl? His father was many things – cruel, unforgiving and cold, but he had also taken N in as a child. He raised him and taught him everything he knew. No, his father wouldn't do such a thing. It was illogical.

"KYUREM! GLACIATE!" screeched Ghetsis.

Apparently N had underestimated his father's cruelty. The dragon roared, a cry so terrifying that it frightened both N and Rosa. The girl's eyes were wide with fear. Before she could do anything to defend herself, the Pokémon used its enormous power to create giant spikes of ice. The icicles hovered in the air for a few seconds.

N paused, wondering if now was the right time to reveal himself. That turned out to be a costly mistake.

For the icicles changed positions. From hovering over the terrified Rosa, they spread apart, only to launch themselves directly at her.

N watched in shock as the girl screamed and collapsed to the ground. Rage built inside him – a feeling he wasn't used to. He jumped out from behind the rock, calling for his partner to attack.

But it was too late. The damage had already been done.

The next hour passed in a blur. N remembered his father's expression, adorned with the same scorn he wore whenever N tried to prove himself. He remembered his father calling him a freak. He remembered his friend battling Kyurem and defeating it. He also remembered taking on his father's entire team, crushing each one of them. And he remembered the Shadow Triad arriving to take Ghetsis away.

But he didn't remember Rosa waking up.

"Wait," said Hugh slowly. He couldn't process what he had just heard – his mind wouldn't accept it. "You mean – she – Rosa –"

N's eyes were filled with guilt. "After he left, I checked on her," he said softly. "She was frozen solid. And she wasn't breathing. I checked her pulse. She – she didn't have one. I'm sorry, friend. Rosa is –"

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Hugh. "Shut up! Shut your mouth! Don't say it! DON'T – YOU – FREAKING – SAY IT!"

For the second time that day, Hugh broke down. He wept. He cried as though he had never cried before. He cried and cried for all the regrets he had. He cried for Purrloin, for he had let Team Plasma take it away. He cried for the Castelia sewers, when he had couldn't be bothered to help Rosa with her fear of the dark. He cried for hurting her in Nimbasa City, for using words he would never be able to take back. He cried for that moment in the Ferris Wheel, for taking too long to realize that he loved her.

He cried a lot for what he did to her after he kissed her for the first time, and the fight that transpired after that. That was time he could have spent with her, something he would never be able to do again.

And he cried the hardest when he realized that he didn't tell her he loved her. Even when he had the chance to do so today.

All those happy moments with Rosa – the memories did nothing but increase his pain.

N sat beside Hugh, holding the boy as he wept his heart out. When he was finished, N led him out of the now empty frigate. He knew what he had to do next.

He gently picked up the broken boy and placed him on the back of his dragon, before lifting himself up. "I think we should take him to the Lacunosa City Hospital," he said slowly. "He needs – to see her. To let it all out."

The dragon nodded and began to fly.

* * *

Three days later, Hugh stood alone before Rosa's grave. The pain still wasn't gone; in fact, it was worse than before. He knew that part of the reason he couldn't let go was because he blamed himself. If only he had followed her out of that room towards that final battle…

He wondered if she would have still been alive had he done things differently. If had accepted her confession on the Plasma Frigate. If he hadn't let her go after kissing her.

Would things have been different if had spent his journey traveling with Rosa instead of focusing on Team Plasma? Surely his life would've been much better if Purrloin hadn't been stolen all those years ago.

But Hugh could feel Rosa shaking her head six feet under. They both knew that if things hadn't turned out the way they had Hugh never would've gone on that journey and he never would've realized how he felt about Rosa. And she never would've known she loved him.

Throughout his journey he had convinced himself that he was traveling for Purrloin. To get stronger and defeat Team Plasma and get Purrloin back and make Hana happy. He thought he wouldn't have anything to gain besides that.

But he knew that his journey had been so much more than that. He had found something that didn't happen very often – _love_ – and he had experienced it. At the moment he was a mix of happy memories and regrets, all rewards of his journey. Finding Purrloin had just been a by-product.

"Hugh?" he heard a small voice say. He turned around to find Hana beside him, her hand on his shoulder. She looked solemn in her black dress and little black bow. His parents were a few feet away, talking to Rosa's mother.

"We have to go." she said softly.

Hugh bowed his head at the gravestone, silently thanking his best friend, rival and beloved for everything. He had so much more to tell her, and this definitely wasn't the last time he would be here.

 _Goodbye, Rosa,_ he thought. _I'll be back soon. And since I didn't say it before, I'm not going to make the same mistake again. I'm going to keeping telling you every time I come to see you. I love you._

He held Hana's hand and nodded towards their parents. "Let's go."


	11. Epilogue

By the time Hugh finishes narrating, Nate is crying. Hugh wraps his arms around the weeping boy. It isn't something he is prone to doing, but as he's learnt, people change every day.

"I'm sorry," sniffles Hugh. "But it's just so _sad_! Poor Rosa. Poor you. Why? Why did it have to happen?"

Hugh opens his mouth to answer, but Nate cuts him off.

"No," he says. "I know what you're going to say. But it wasn't your fault. Yeah, to some extent, it kind of was, I guess. But you know what? Even if you hadn't broken her heart, I'm sure Rosa would have gone ahead and faced Ghetsis alone, anyway. That's what it sounds like she would do. She's like, a video game protagonist or something."

Hugh gazes it him impassively. "I guess you're right. Anyway, I've changed a lot from the guys I was before. And I've learnt so much. Most importantly, if you love something, never let your ego get in your way."

He gives Nate a meaningful look. "It may be too late for me, but you can still fix things."

The train stops at the Gear Station in Nimbasa City. A mechanical voice asks them all to disembark. The two boys walk out of the station in silence.

"Yeah, alright, I get what you're saying," says Nate finally. They stop before the entrance to the Battle Subway. "Will you be okay?"

Hugh smiles. "I will. Not immediately, but I will. I'm getting there."

Nate nods. "I gotta go, then. I have some loose ends to tie up. Keep in touch?"

"Of course," Hugh registers the other boy on his Xtransceiver. "I have some stuff to do too, now. But good luck."

Nate flashes a thumbs-up at him. He then releases his Pokémon and flies off.

Hugh fixes his eyes on the two until they're nothing more than a speck in the sky, before releasing his own Pokémon.

* * *

Nate races around Mistralton City, desperately trying to get a signal. When he doesn't get one, he sighs. "This is a lot harder than I thought," he mutters.

He has visited two cities and six routes so far in his quest to get a signal for Yancy on his Xtransceiver. His Pokémon is tired and annoyed. But he doesn't want to give up. Not yet.

"Come on, Brav" he begs his Braviary. "Please. Just one last time. I know it's going to work. I have a good feeling about this. _Please._ "

The bird gives him a haughty look, but nods. Nate hugs him hard, and wastes no time in jumping on its back.

Within minutes they are at Lentimas Town. Nate quickly gets off and consults his Xtransceiver. Sure enough, he was right – Yancy's name is in there. He taps on it and makes a call.

"Hi," he says when the ringing stops. "I need to see you. Can we meet at the Ferris Wheel again?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Hugh and his Unfezant land at Virbank City.

With his head full of clouded thoughts, he walks towards Pokéstar Studios. As soon as he exits the Virbank Gate, the loud, obnoxious music that it typical to the studio begins playing.

Hugh forces his body to keep walking. The memories keep flooding back as he does. That was the spot where the manager yelled at Rosa for showing up late to her own movie. That's where that hapless admirer asked her for an autograph.

Instead of pushing the memories away, like he'd been doing for the past month, he lets them come.

He enters the theater and walks straight up to the ticket counter.

"Welcome to Pokéstar Studios." The woman at the counter greets him politely. "How may I help you?"

He spends a good five minutes studying today's screenings. Finally he sees something he likes. _Perfect._

"Hi," he replies. "I'd like to buy a ticket for _Everlasting Memories_ , please."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

With this, we come to the end of Hugh and Rosa's (and Nate and Yancy's) story. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I worked really hard on it, and had a lot of fun doing so.

If you liked this story, please show it some love by adding it to your favorites. You can also leave a review below telling me what you liked about it and what you didn't. I love hearing from you! And thank you to those who have already favorited, followed and reviewed this story. Your support is invaluable.

If you like Attack On Titan, I'm currently working on an action/adventure AU story. It won't be up anytime soon, but please keep an eye out for it when it is.

Bye for now!


	12. Alternate Ending: Memories of the End

Nate is silent.

Hugh keeps glancing at Nate, wondering when he'll speak up. They are on the train back to Nimbasa City, having just lost against the Subway Bosses Emmet and Ingo. Nate has been uncharacteristically quiet since then. Hugh wonders if it's because they lost, or if it's because he just found out the full extent of Hugh's douchebaggery. Hugh suspects it's the latter.

Finally, he can't take it anymore. "Say something, dammit!" he demands.

Nate shakes his head, as if to snap out of a daydream. He stares at Hugh for the longest time. "You know," he says finally, "I've always thought that what Yancy did to me was bad. That I could never find anyone as cruel as she was to me. But I guess I was wrong. There are worse people on this planet. I just hadn't met you then."

Hugh doesn't reply. The guilt burns up his insides like acid.

"I was so naïve back then," continues Nate. He gives a hollow, humorless laugh. "Yancy is like a goddess compared to you. Hell, Team Plasma are like charity workers compared to you."

If Nate had said that two months ago, Hugh would have punched him to next Tuesday for that comment. But he doesn't move a muscle. Instead, he asks, "What happened between you and Yancy?"

"Um," Nate bites his lip. Hugh notices that Nate is prone to doing that when he's talking about her. "We were in love."

"Yeah?" says Hugh. It feels nice to talk to Nate about something that isn't Rosa.

"Yeah," replies Nate. "We met when I found something she'd lost. She was beautiful, smart and funny – we just clicked, you know?"

Hugh nods. He knows.

"Anyway, so we started talking. Like, a lot. I mean, she didn't have much time to talk to me, cause her job got in the way, but she always called when she had a signal." Nate pauses.

The train jerks forward suddenly, and Hugh hits his head against the back of the seat before him. But he urges Nate to go on.

"Slowly, I fell in love with her. One day, I asked her to meet me at the Ferris Wheel. You know, the same one you and Rosa rode? So I told her how I felt. Turns out, she'd been feeling the same way."

Hugh smiles. He's happy for Nate, but his happiness is punctured by the fact that this story doesn't end well.

"We began dating after that. I mean, whenever we could, anyway. Whenever I asked her to meet me, she was always busy and had her job to go to. And our calls were always cut short by her coworkers calling her to work. It got annoying after a while.

Nate pauses to catch his breath.

"So one day, when I called her, her coworker answered the Xtransceiver. And you won't believe who it was. It was Pokémon Idol Nancy."

"Yancy works with Pokémon Idol Nancy?" Hugh raises an eyebrow, impressed. "That's cool. And it rhymes."

Nate shakes his head. "No. I mean, Nancy answered the Xtransceiver, but I recognized her. It was Yancy. Yancy, in her work clothes. _Yancy is Pokémon Idol Nancy._ "

Hugh hisses in shock.

"Yeah," says Nate sadly. "I was confused too, at first. But then I did a little digging. I realized Yancy never told me what her job was. That's why she never had time for me. She'd hidden such a big part of her life from me."

He slumps in his seat.

"And then, when I called her up again to talk about it, she kept lying to me. She insisted it was her coworker who answered the Xtransceiver, and that she wasn't a Pokémon Idol. That hurt. A lot. Since then, I haven't spoken to her."

"Oh." Hugh doesn't know what else to say. As much as he tries to convince himself otherwise, that was nowhere as bad as what he did to Rosa.

Nate shakes his head. "But I'll deal with that later. Anyway, tell me what happened between you and Rosa then. I hope you apologized to her."

Hugh just swallows hard and continues with his story.

* * *

 _One month ago_

It was a beautiful spring day.

The crater's forest in the Giant Chasm was usually eerie and silent, but today it was teeming with life. The indigenous Pokémon were alert, for they could sense something in the air. Something big. And it probably had something to do with the monster hidden deep within.

A tall boy stood by the entrance, watching the scene unfold before him. Rood, one the seven sages formerly in Team Plasma, was arguing with a few members of Neo Team Plasma. The boy crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes traveling back and forth between both sides. At any other time, he would usually be up there with them, fuelling the argument, but today he was quiet.

He ran his hand through his Qwilfish-like hair. _Where was she?_

Hugh had been having the worst month of his life. Ever since that day on the Plasma Frigate, nothing had been the same. For starters, his sort-of relationship with Rosa had ended. Granted, he had been giving her the cold shoulder before that, but the incident that day had really sealed the deal. Hugh still found it hard to believe that Rosa _loved_ him. He wondered if she still did, after all the terrible things he had said to her.

He winced as he remembered that day. It wasn't that he didn't love Rosa – because he did, despite convincing himself that he shouldn't. Somehow his bull-headed ego had managed to get in the way and ruin things. He had realized his mistake as soon as he left the ship, but by then it was too late. He called her plenty of times since then, but she never returned his calls. And he briefly ran into her a few minutes back at the entrance cave, but she ignored him.

Just like he had ignored her before.

It was driving him nuts. He couldn't take it anymore. Several sleepless nights and tears had convinced him that he had screwed up, big time. Hugh was determined to apologize to Rosa anyhow and tell her he loved her. And he would do it as soon as this mission was over.

Because right now, he really needed his head in the game.

Today was the big day. The day he finally took down Team Plasma and got back Purrloin. He could feel it in his bones. He was going to do it, once and for all.

All that was left was for Rosa to arrive. When he last saw her, she had been battling her way through the cave. It was only a matter of time before she got here.

And there she was. She stepped outside the cave, her eyes tired and her brow covered with sweat. Squinting, she made her way towards the small group.

Hugh straightened up. She didn't look as terrible as she had back at the Plasma Frigate, but she didn't look great either. She nodded at him as she approached the group.

"Hugh," she said curtly.

"Rosa," he whispered. He had so much to tell her – and even more to apologize for. "Rosa, I-"

She simply held up her hand, indicating he should stop. He felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. Karma was a bitch, indeed. It was clearly bent on making him suffer, like Rosa had suffered for those two months.

Rosa poked an ex-Team Plasma grunt in the side. "What's going on here?" she asked.

Hugh sighed as the grunt proceeded to fill her in on the argument before them. His fingers itched to grab her hand, to force her to look into his eyes. To open her ears and force her to listen to his apologies. But deep down, he knew that he deserved every bit of pain he was feeling.

He watched the argument unfold before him. He also watched Rosa not-so-discretely flirt with the ex-Team Plasma. Yep. Every bit of pain.

Rood continued to urge the Neo Team Plasma members to give up on their job. However, they clearly weren't listening, this close to their goal. He pulled out his Poké Ball.

"Well," he shrugged. "That didn't work. HEY!"

The whole group turned to face him. Hugh could feel Rosa's eyes boring into his skin like laser beams. He turned red.

"Let me through," he instructed the Team Plasma members.

"What are you trying to do?" sneered one of them. "Looking to get hurt?"

Hugh clenched his fists. Time to unleash his rage.

"I'm going to get a stolen Pokémon back," he replied, his voice uncharacteristically low. "I'm not going to listen to villains like you."

Everyone exchanged glances of confusion, Rosa included. Hugh tried to catch her eye, but she stubbornly gazed away.

"Why do you have Pokémon by your sides?" he continued. His voice rang through the forest. "To protect what's important to you, right? Even if your precious Pokémon get hurt, even if your ideals are damaged, the time to fight is NOW!"

"Whatever." One of the Neo Team Plasma members rolled her eyes. "You're just a kid. Quit trying to act so cool." She turned to her companions. "Nobody's getting close to the Plasma Frigate. Wipe them ALL out!"

Two of the grunts stepped forward. Hugh groaned. He had multi battled several trainers and grunts with Rosa, but he wasn't sure he could do it today. He turned towards her. Every time they battled together, there was always that unspoken glance between them that said _I've got your back._ Their synchronization and understanding helped pull off most battles flawlessly.

This time, however, Rosa refused to look at him. Instead, she said, "I'll handle this one. You take the other."

Hugh opened his mouth to yell at her, but bit back his words. Nope. He deserved this. The two of them quickly took down the grunts.

"Rosa," he said, grabbing the girl's hand. More Team Plasma grunts were arriving, but for once he ignored them. "You have to listen to me. I-"

She dug her elbow in his stomach, not letting him finish. He groaned in pain.

Rood handed them a few Max Revives. "Their backup has arrived." He nodded towards the forest. "But we can handle them. You two get going."

"Roger," Rosa nodded at the man. Before they could leave, Rood beckoned to Hugh.

"About the Pokémon you're looking for," he said. "In all likelihood, it is in possession of the Shadow Triad – the dark warriors who appear silently."

Hugh scratched his head, trying to understand. Then he remembered. _Opelucid City…_

However, Purrloin didn't seem that important anymore.

His goal was finally in sight – but had it been what he was looking for?

"If I rescue it, it helps you guys absolve your guilt, doesn't it?" Hugh replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Guess I'll help you out."

Hugh and Rosa sped on ahead, deeper into the forest. When Team Plasma was finally out of sight, he stopped. "Rosa," he whimpered. The lump in his throat had turned his voice hoarse. He had to tell her. Before he found Purrloin. She had to know. "Rosa, please…"

But his ex-best friend had already disappeared.

* * *

Hugh ran past the warp panels, confused. Hours of battling countless Team Plasma grunts had left him dizzy, and his Pokémon tired. He wanted to sit down for a while and catch his breath. But he couldn't. Somewhere on this ship was the Pokémon he lost five years ago. Every second he wasted was another second that kept Purrloin away from Hana.

And also on this ship was the girl who used to be his best friend. The girl who loved him. The girl who he loved. And, being the colossal male appendage that he was, he had broken her heart and neglected to tell her how he felt. He had to fix things soon.

Stepping on a panel to the left of the room, he was immediately transported to some sort of office. Before him was a wall covered with television screens. There was a revolving chair and a desk before it.

Hugh was suddenly aware of the presence of another two people in the room besides him. One of them was Rosa, her eyes determined. The other was some sort of white-haired ninja that looked vaguely familiar.

 _The Shadow Triad…_

There it was. His ultimate choice. His mission or his feelings? His head or his heart?

Without thinking, he turned to face them.

"Aren't you one of the Shadow Triad?" he questioned the man, his eyes narrowed.

The man said nothing, electing to cross his arms over his chest instead. Hugh took this as a yes.

He marched over to the man, grabbing him by the collar. "Tell me about the Purrloin that was stolen in Aspertia." he demanded.

The man let out a harsh, bark-like laugh. "You're going to have to let me go if you want that information." His voice was low and raspy, but Hugh knew he meant business.

He pushed the man away with as much force as he could conjure. The man fell against the desk, scattering a bunch of papers that were on it. Without missing a beat, he stood up, craning his neck to the side with a loud _crack_.

"Very well," he whispered, gracefully pulling out a Poké Ball. "This might be it."

And before Hugh stood the Pokémon he had spent a year searching. The same Purrloin that he and his grandfather had caught so long ago for his baby sister. Only this wasn't a Purrloin – it was a Liepard. It hissed at him angrily, clawing the air.

"I stole this Pokémon five years ago in Aspertia." the man rasped, licking his lips. "So it seems likely that it is the Pokémon you're talking about. But now, it only listens to my commands. Such is the fate of Pokémon that are trapped in Poké Balls!"

Hugh could feel his whole world come crashing around him. Purrloin – had evolved? He kicked himself for not thinking about. For not considering the simple fact that yes, Purrloin was strong, and yes, Team Plasma would probably train and misuse it. How could he have not seen this coming?

He sank to his knees. Hugh wasn't a person to call home often, but when he did, Hana always demanded to speak to him. She would ask him about his journey so far and whether he'd found Purrloin yet. And every time Hugh's heart would sink for having to disappoint her.

Even if he did get this Purrloin – sorry, _Liepard_ back home, there was no telling whether it would even recognize Hana or listen to her. Everything…all wasted…

It couldn't be Hana's Purrloin. It couldn't, it couldn't, it couldn't!

"Don't mess with me," he replied hoarsely. The lump in his throat was back and bigger than before. "That's someone else's Pokémon!"

The Shadow Triad member laughed again. "Ah…I feel sorry for Pokémon." he mocked, patting Liepard on the head. "They're ruled by Poké Balls and the whims of their trainers. Lord Ghetsis spoke of liberation two years ago simply for his own ambitions, but if his plans had succeeded, many Pokémon would have been saved. This Liepard," he scratched it behind the ears, "well, you knew it as Purrloin – if it had been released, it might have returned to you."

He ignored Hugh's sharp intake of breath and turned towards Rosa. "Well then," he licked his lips again. "You! I won't let you interfere with Lord Ghetsis's plans!"

Rosa, who had been silent the entire time, released her Pokémon.

He simply stood there watching Purr – uh, Liepard, as Rosa battled the Shadow Triad member. His mind was blank. He couldn't think of the next step. All those things he was worried about earlier – defeating Team Plasma, confessing to Rosa – nothing mattered anymore. It was like life had led him down a long, winding path, only to end up at a blind alley.

Life could be a giant pain in the Azelf sometimes.

Rosa continued to battle the entire Shadow Triad, who had shown up later. He knew he should have been up there, fighting alongside her. But Hugh felt too weak to stand up. Drained up of all this energy and rage. So tired. He just wanted to curl up there and fall asleep and wake up with _his_ Purrloin next to him…

Finally defeated by Rosa, the leader of the Shadow Triad shook his head. "No matter. The only thing you can do is watch Lord Ghetsis use Kyurem to freeze Unova solid. That's all…"

 _What?_

He turned towards Hugh. "You. I'll return this Pokémon to you. Considering what Lord Ghetsis is about to do, I have no further need for it." With that, the three men vanished into thin air.

He and Rosa – and Liepard – were now alone in the room.

She faced him, as though expecting him to say something. She didn't seem angry anymore. Her eyes were filled with pity.

When he continued to remain silent, she knelt down before him. "Hey," she whispered. She patted him arm comfortingly. "It's going to be alright."

He nodded. Liepard, abandoned by its master, curled up in the revolving chair. The two sat there in silence.

Finally, Hugh spoke up. "Hey, Rosa?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"If we let Team Plasma do whatever they want," he whispered. "There'll be more sad Pokémon like Purrloin and Kyurem…"

"Yes," replied Rosa solemnly. "Yes, there will." She stood up to leave.

"Wait!" blurted Hugh. She looked at him inquiringly.

"I'm sorry," he said, staring directly into her eyes. "For everything."

She smiled at him. Despite the events of earlier, his heart soared, and he instantly knew he was forgiven.

"Oh," he remembered. "And I wanted to tell you that- that I-" He stopped suddenly.

"What?" said Rosa curiously.

He smiled. "Nothing. It can wait." He nodded towards the warp panel. "I think you have a world to save."

She laughed, the beautiful, musical laugh he'd missed for so long. "You're right. I'll see you soon, then." With a flash of green light, she was gone.

He knew the right thing to do would be to follow her out of the room. How could one teenage girl save Unova alone? He was selfish for wanting to stay behind with Liepard.

Then again, this was no ordinary teenage girl. This was Rosa, the most amazing girl he knew. All his life, he'd been obsessed with getting stronger. And yet she had beaten him every single time they battled. He always wondered when he'd get to be as strong as her. Now he knew that he could never reach her level. All he could do was comfort her and support her as she took on the ultimate enemy.

He smiled to himself as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He didn't care. As far as he knew, everything was going to be alright.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, Hugh realized that he couldn't keep crying for his sister's Pokémon. Sure, Hana was probably waiting for Purrloin to come home, not Liepard. But he knew that this was the same Pokémon she had lost all those years ago. If it loved her then, it would learn to love her again.

He approached the Cruel Pokémon slowly.

"Come on," he whispered, beckoning to the Pokémon. "Come here, Liepard. Come to Papa."

Liepard raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. It leapt out of the chair nimbly and glared at him.

"Yes," he whispered. "That's it, Liepard. You remember me, don't you? It's me, Hugh. I helped catch you six years ago. You remember Hana, right? That little girl who loves you so much? She's waiting for you to come back."

For a moment, it looked like Liepard had recognized him. It stared at him quietly, like it was remembering. But then it simply jumped back on the chair.

The Poké Ball that the Shadow Triad man had released Liepard from was lying open on the table. Liepard jumped on the table, bopped its nose against the Poké Ball and detained itself back inside.

Hugh sighed. Clearly, taming Liepard was going to take a lot of work. But he was going to do it. For Hana. He hadn't come so far just to give up this easily.

He pocketed the Poké Ball and collected his things. _Time to see if Rosa has saved the world yet._

* * *

The inner cave of the Giant Chasm was smaller than he thought it would be. It wasn't hard to find, either – for some reason the ice around it had melted, and the entrance was easy to see. There was also a lot of commotion coming from the cave.

Hugh raced inside to find the cave very, very crowded. None of the people seemed to be Team Plasma members, though. It looked more like the media had caught wind of the happenings in the Giant Chasm and had rushed here as soon as they could. Even Cheren and Bianca were here, whispering amongst themselves. That could only mean one thing:

Rosa had saved Unova.

Hugh's heart swelled with pride. This was so Rosa – excelling at everything she did. Already famous, she had added another feather in her cap by being Unova's second hero – the first, of course, being the trainer that defeated Team Plasma two years ago. This was so her.

He made his way straight towards Cheren and Bianca, who greeted him. When he was closer, he realized why the place was so crowded. Pokémon Idol Nancy was here, and so was her entire crew. And right in the middle was Rosa. She looked tired, but happy, like she'd just finished running a marathon. She was beaming at the crowd.

Hugh grinned automatically. She hadn't seen him yet, she was too busy being interviewed by Nancy, but he felt like her smile was just for him.

He wondered if she could feel his presence there.

"Hey," he whispered to Cheren and Bianca. "What happened here?"

Cheren snorted. "You mean you haven't heard yet? Well, after Rosa battled the Shadow Triad, she got here and found Ghetsis. He tried to use Kyurem to kill her, but N – you know him right? The former king of Team Plasma? – he saved her. Then Ghetsis fused Kyurem and N's dragon together, but Rosa defeated it and managed to separate them. And _then_ she beat Ghetsis."

"Wow," whispered Hugh. "Wow. Rosa…did all that? By herself? She's…she's…"

"Amaz-ing!" squealed Bianca. "And she's getting interviewed now. By Pokémon Idol Nancy! Nancy's so awesome! Do you think she'd give me an autograph?"

Both Hugh and Cheren ignored her.

"And now that you've defeated Team Plasma," said Nancy, in her upbeat voice, "and become a major movie star and managed your own business and won all eight badges, I have to ask: what's next?"

"Well," said Rosa, biting her lip in fake modesty. "I'm planning to take on the Pokémon League challenge next! I know it's going to be tough, but I think I can do it!"

"That's great!" Nancy clapped her hands eagerly. "I don't doubt it! If anyone could, it's you. You are Unova's new hero, after all. So, Rosa, for all our male watchers out there, tell us: are you single? Or is there a man in your life we don't know about yet?" Nancy waggled her finger teasingly.

Hugh felt like he had stopped breathing.

"Um," Rosa turned scarlet. "No, not really. I don't have the time for that kind of stuff."

He just blinked in shocked, wondering whether he had heard right. He didn't realize that he was still holding his breath.

Nancy pouted. "Oh, come on! I'm sure there's someone you like! Come on, don't be shy!"

Surely she didn't mean that. Rosa hadn't stopped loving him. It wasn't possible. He had seen it in her eyes, back in Undella Town. Hell, she had even told him herself that she did. She loved him. She was lying. She had to be lying!

Rosa forced a laugh. "There really isn't. Honestly, I think I'm better off being alone. Nobody's worth it."

At that moment, Hugh's whole world came crashing down.

He had built himself up for this moment. For months, he had prepared himself for the time he confessed to Rosa. He had even come to this cave to do just that.

Only to learn that he apparently wasn't worth it.

He didn't want to think. He didn't want to analyze why she said it. He didn't care about _anything_.

At that moment, all he cared about was how hurt he felt.

"Well," Nancy grinned at the camera. "You heard it here first, folks. Unova's new hero is not just a strong Pokémon trainer, but she's also a movie star and businesswoman who'd rather put her career before love. Isn't that right, Rosa?"

"Um," Rosa looked flustered. "Not really. I just don't think I want to date anyone right now. I mean, my Pokémon and I have worked really hard to get here. I don't want to stop now, you know?"

Her eyes began to shine. His dimmed down.

"I'm going to make my way through Victory Road now." Rosa's voice was filled with determination. "And then I'm going to beat the Elite Four and Champion. I owe it to my Pokémon to get there. Nothing – and no one – is going to slow me down."

The ambition in her speech was hard to ignore. He turned around.

"Hugh?" came Bianca's voice. She sounded worried. "Hugh, what happened? Are you okay?"

He didn't reply. He just walked away, drowning out the sound of Rosa talking about her dreams, none of which included him.


	13. Alternate Ending: Epilogue

"And I never spoke to her again after that," finishes Hugh.

There's a long silence.

He and Nate have arrived at the Gear Station. Being late evening, it's empty, with the exception of the staff and the guy obsessed with stats.

Without warning, Nate launches himself at Hugh and punches him in the face.

 _Wham!_

"What the – " begin Hugh, but Nate doesn't let him finish.

"You. Idiot." snarls Nate.

Hugh blinks in shock. _What just happened?_

"Nate, what – "

 _Wham!_

"You. Blithering. Idiot!" yells Nate, shaking his fist.

Hugh's rage is building up. Nate is being surprisingly violent. "Can you stop hitting me and tell me what's going on?"

"SHE LIED!" screams Nate. "She lied, you _idiot_! God. Do I have to spell out everything for you? ROSA LOVES YOU. AND YOU LOVE HER. Now go tell her that!"

"I – " Hugh is out of words. "It's too late. I don't – "

"Do you want me to punch you again?" cuts in Nate.

"No!" Hugh replies. "Look, Nate, you're obviously living in some sort of fantasy where everything works out and there's rainbows and Skitty and – "

"Call her," commands Nate. "Call her right now and ask her where she is."

Hugh sighs. Nate just doesn't get it.

"Nate, stop it," he says irritably. "Rosa and I are never going to happen. Deal with it."

Nate grits his teeth.

"Fine." He smiles maniacally, then throws himself on Hugh and tugs at his hand.

"Hey!" barks Hugh. "Get off me! Get off – hey!"

Although Hugh is strong and tall for his age, Nate's slight build has helped him wriggle out of Hugh's clutches. Finally, after wrestling for a while, he manages to tease Hugh's Xtransceiver off his wrist.

By now, Hugh is more than mildly annoyed. With a roar, he pounces on the thief, only to have the latter kick him squarely in the stomach. He keels over in pain.

Nate scrolls through Hugh's contacts, stopping when he reaches to 'R'. He taps on the 'Voice Only' button next to Rosa's name and waits.

Within seconds, a feminine voice answers. "Hello?"

Nate clears his throat. "Rosa," he says, trying to mimic Hugh's Super Saiyan voice. "It's me. Hugh."

Rosa doesn't answer immediately. "Why can't I see you?" she demands. "And where's Hugh?"

Nate sighs. _Busted._ "Okay, I'm not really Hugh." he admits. "I'm a friend of his. Where are you right now?"

Rosa is hesitant to answer. "I'm not sure I want to tell a stranger that."

Nate clicks his tongue impatiently. "Fine. Don't tell me. Tell Hugh where you are." He walks over to Hugh and places the Xtransceiver near his mouth. "Hugh, ask her where she is." he instructs.

The injured boy makes a feeble attempt at grabbing the device. But one look at Nate and his raised fist make him rethink his choices. He succumbs.

"Where are you?" he asks her weakly.

"Hugh?" Rosa sounds concerned. "What's going on? Are you alright? Where have you been? I mean, you haven't answered my calls since – "

"Ask her where she is." repeats Nate.

Hugh sighs. "Rosa, _please_ tell me where you are."

Rosa stops rambling. "Well, my new movie is premiering in an hour at Pokéstar Studios, so I'm in my dressing room – "

"Perfect." says Nate. With an evil smile, he ends the call and sticks out his hand to help Hugh up.

Hugh is seething. "I'm so going to unleash my rage on you." But a jolt of pain in his stomach causes him to double over, wincing. "But not right now."

Nate grins and hands him a Fresh Water and his Xtransceiver back. "So I guess you're going to Pokéstar Studios now!"

Hugh scowls at him. "Fine. On one condition."

"Name it," smirks Nate.

Hugh crosses his arms over his chest. "You're going to call Yancy and fix things with her. Now."

He watches Nate bite his lip, sinking into deep thought. "Alright," he says finally. "I'll do it. I'll meet up with Yancy."

The two boys walk out of the station in silence. Nate stops before a flyer pasted to a lamppost, advertising some sort of sci-fi movie starring the new Champion.

"We should register each other on our Xtransceivers," he suggests. "I want to know what happens next."

Hugh shrugs. They exchange their devices and register themselves.

"You know what to do now," says Hugh gravely.

Nate nods. In a swift motion, he releases his Flying-type, a Braviary. The magnificent bird spreads his wings and screeches loudly.

Hugh whistles. "That's one fine-ass bird."

"Thanks," grins Nate. "The previous hero of Unova – the one who defeated N – gave it to me."

Hugh's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. "You know the ex-Champion?"

Nate laughs. He pats the bird on his neck. "Hugh, I'm the ex-Champion's little brother." He pushes the flyer he had ripped off the lamppost into Hugh's hands. "And you're about to become the current Champion's new boyfriend."

He jumps on the bird's back and flies off, leaving a stunned Hugh behind.

* * *

Nate races around Mistralton City, desperately trying to get a signal. When he doesn't get one, he sighs. "This is a lot harder than I thought," he mutters.

He has visited two cities and six routes so far in his quest to hold up his end of the bargain and call Yancy. His Braviary is tired and annoyed. But he doesn't want to give up. Not yet.

"Come on, Brav" he begs the bird. "Please. Just one last time. I know it's going to work. I have a good feeling about this. _Please._ "

The bird gives him a haughty look, but nods. Nate hugs him hard, and wastes no time in jumping on his back.

Within minutes they are at Lentimas Town. Nate quickly gets off and consults his Xtransceiver. Sure enough, he was right – Yancy's name is in there. He taps on it and makes a call.

"Hi," he says when the ringing stops. "I need to see you. Can we meet at the Ferris Wheel again?"

* * *

Half an hour later, Hugh's Unfezant lands at Virbank City.

He still can't believe that he let Nate con him into doing this. It was stupid. He was stupid. Nate was stupid. He was expecting Hugh to just go up to the Champion – how he missed that news, he had no clue – and confess his love to her. There's bound to be a joke somewhere he can make about Nate and an infusion of Weedle, but he's not in the mood to think about it right now.

He makes his way to Pokéstar Studios, which is crowded a lot more than it was the last time he was here. Hugh slaps his forehead. _Of course._ Everyone was probably here to watch Rosa's new movie. How would he even find her?

The studio has been lit up brightly, illuminating it against the evening sky. Everywhere he looks, people are whispering excitedly about the new movie. Some of them have even dressed up in lab coats and robot costumes.

The huge billboard outside the theater is covered with Rosa's face, next to a smiling orange robot. Below it, a large number of people have gathered.

Hugh swallows hard. He can guess why everyone was surrounding the building – in fact, the scene was giving him a serious feeling of déjà vu. He shakes his head, trying to ward off those thoughts and slowly makes his way towards the crowd.

He pushes towards the center, trying to get a glimpse of what is happening. Sure enough, he's right – Rosa is at the entrance of the theater, looking beautiful in a long pink gown with her hair loose. She's being interviewed by Pokémon Idol Nancy. _Again._

Hugh growls to himself, annoyed.

Someday in the future, if he and Rosa get together, and if Nate and Yancy get together, Nate will introduce him to Yancy. And there and then, he will unleash all his rage on that woman and tell her why he does _not_ like her.

With a deep breath, he storms forward.

"Hugh?" Rosa is staring at him like she can't believe he's here. A lot of people around them are snickering. He can feel his ears turn red.

There are so many things wrong with this scenario:

1\. Hugh was at a fancy movie premiere dressed in his training outfit.

2\. He had spent his day training at the Battle Subway and he _reeked_. He's also sporting a black eye from where Nate had punched him in the face.

3\. Not to mention, he has also arrived uninvited.

4\. He has interrupted an interview between two celebrities and stolen the mike from them, à la Kanye PokéWest.

5\. And finally, one of them is the love of his life, and he hasn't spoken to her properly in over a month (four, if you count the awkwardness between them since they kissed).

All in all, he's in a very embarrassing position right now. But Hugh, being Hugh, does not think about any of that. For at that moment, the only thing that matters is that Rosa is in front of him.

"You." He points at Nancy. "Get out of here."

"Excuse me?" Nancy places her hands on her hips. "Young man, I am conducting an interview with the star of this movie – "

"And Nate's busting his ass all over Unova looking for you." finishes Hugh. "To tell you that even though you lied to him and didn't tell him about 'your secret life', he still loves you."

Nancy's hands fly to her mouth. Gasps echo all around them.

"Hugh, are you insane?" hisses Rosa. "What are you talking about?"

Hugh holds up his hand to silence her, just like she'd done at the Giant Chasm. "What are you waiting for?" he continues. "Leave. Now."

With a strangled sob, Nancy hurries out of the crowd, followed by her crew.

Hugh gives a satisfied smile. "That was easy." He turns towards Rosa. "Now, where were we?"

Rosa crosses her arms. "You were about to explain why you interrupted my interview and drove Nancy away. After not speaking to me for months."

Hugh scratches his head. "I have a good reason for that. I think."

"I'm listening," says Rosa flatly.

After the adrenaline rush that had propelled him to drive Nancy away, Hugh finds himself at a loss for words. "I'll just cut to the chase then, I guess." he says awkwardly. Leaning forward to grasp Rosa's hands, he announces, "Rosa. I love you."

The audience echoes with gasps again. Rosa's eyes widen. She opens her mouth to speak, but Hugh cuts her off.

"And I want to apologize again for everything I've done." he continues. "I'm sorry for not speaking to you all this while. I was going to tell you this at the Giant Chasm, but then I heard you tell Yan – I mean, Nancy that you didn't want to date anyone, and I couldn't take it. But Nate – he's my new friend, by the way – told me not to give up. So I came here. And I'm also sorry I rejected you at the Plasma Frigate. And that I left you at Undella Town to chase after Team Plasma. I don't know what I was thinking. Team Plasma isn't the most important thing in my life. _You are._ "

A collective "awww" issues from the audience. Rosa looks like she's close to tears.

"I can't believe it took you so long," she says softly.

Hugh rubs the back of his head. "Yeah." he replies. The people around them are muttering among themselves. Some of them have their cameras out and are filming the scene before them. A few people have even bought some popcorn.

"This is _way_ better than any movie," he hears someone say.

"Say yes, Rosa!" yells someone else.

He waits for her to say something, anything, to break the awkward silence between them.

Finally, she pulls out a blue, Ducklett-print handkerchief. "You're ruining my makeup," she says, dabbing the corners of her eyes.

Hugh sighs. "I guess I should leave, then. Good luck with your, um, movie thing." He turns around to make his way out of the studio.

"No!" cries the audience. They surge forward and block his path, preventing him from leaving.

"You can't leave!" says an old man in an orange robot costume. "She hasn't accepted your confession yet!"

"It doesn't matter," he replies. He just wants to be somewhere, _anywhere_ but here. "You can't stop me. I have Pokémon. I'll just fly out of here."

"Take his Poké Balls!" orders a woman, and a horde of Poké Romantics grope him eagerly, searching for his Pokémon. Hugh yelps and flails his legs in the air like a Magikarp out of water, but in vain. He is outnumbered. They relieve him of his Pokémon and stand before him like a wall.

Hugh sinks to his knees. He feels helpless and naked without his Pokémon. Why did he even come here? His efforts were of no use. Rosa isn't saying anything. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do next.

Fortunately, the audience has thought of that for him. "Kiss him!" they chant, circled around Hugh and Rosa like they're performing some kind of ritual. The horde has grown since he came here, and not a single one of them is quiet.

"Now, what's going on here?" The producer has arrived and is trying to make his way into the theater. But Rosa's rabid fans are blocking the entrance, chanting, "Kiss him!"

"Oh, for God's sake," the producer facepalms. "Rosa, dahling, just kiss the boy."

But Rosa cowers at the theater entrance, sobbing. Since she's the Champion and the star of the movie, no one has dared touch her, like they did Hugh. Hugh wonders if he should go comfort her, but at this point he has no idea what he is to her. So he remains where he is, on his knees at the theater stairs, contemplating on his life choices.

"Kiss him!" The people around them show no signs of stopping. Hugh is sure the movies has been delayed by now, but no one is saying anything about it.

If he were a Pokémon, he could use the move Dig and get this over with immediately, without having to embarrass both him and Rosa.

"Kiss him!" says a familiar voice, and Hugh looks up to find Nancy and Nate smiling at him, holding hands.

Nancy holds out a hand to help him up. "Thank you, Hugh," she says. "Although you were a bit harsh," she winces at the memory, "you helped me realize my mistake and get back together with Nate."

Nate grins at him. Hugh wants to smile back, but he can't. He tries to tell Nancy she's welcome, but he can't do that, either. His mouth has gone dry.

"Kiss him!" chant Nate and Nancy with the crowd. "Kiss him! Kiss him! KISS HIM!"

"SHUT UP!" A shrill voice pierces through the chanting.

Rosa's face is red, and she's heaving. "All of you," she croaks. " _Shut up_."

Everyone is silent.

Rosa marches forward to where Hugh is standing. At first Hugh thinks she's going to comply with everyone's demands and kiss him, but instead she raises her hand and slaps him directly on the face.

"That's for all the times you hurt me," she whispers, her voice breaking. "You do realize that the only reason I lied to Nancy was because I didn't want _everyone in Unova_ to find out about you."

"Hey!" says Nancy indignantly.

"And this," whispers Rosa, tugging the collar of his jacket. "Is for everything else." She leans forward and kisses him.

Suddenly, he isn't at the studio anymore. He is floating; rising slowly above the ground, up, up towards the sky. Into the clouds. Towards the heaven and beyond.

But he isn't alone. He is with Rosa. He loves her, through infinity and beyond. At that moment, he promises himself that he will never do anything to hurt her again.

He can hear applause all around them. Nate yells, "Go, Hugh!" while everyone else cheers. Somewhere, someone has lit fireworks, and they are shooting to the sky, splattering the inky canvas in color. Hugh guesses it's probably the producer, celebrating the premiere. But that isn't all to be celebrated.

He pulls away from her. "I love you," he says again, as if to make sure she knows. Because he can't believe it. After everything that he and Rosa have been through, they are together. It's a miracle.

Rosa smiles. "I know," she whispers, and leans forward to kiss him again.

Hugh is finally complete. His journey is over.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So, I wrote this as a happier alternative to the original ending's grim turn of events.

I guess Hugh got abused a lot during this chapter. Someone give him a hug!

Also, the first scene turned out a lot more yaoi then I thought it would.

Imma go write another ending where Hugh ditches Rosa for Nate. (LOL JK)


End file.
